Mara
by giveGodtheglory
Summary: Mara River was a stony eyed punk on the run from her past and her fears. This is what happens when they catch up with her. CoWritten with Ice Lynx95, and moved from her page to here. Uses a female Wolverine.
1. Chapter 1

_The tall girl walked easily down the side of the road, her head held high and her abnormally long hair swaying in the slight breeze that also whispered through the changing leaves of the trees. She appeared too aloof to notice anything, but was in fact highly aware of her surroundings, especially of the little trickle of water that flowed through the ditch._

Mara River smiled, her blue lips curling up slightly over pointed teeth as she stretched a little and flipped a few strands of her blue hair back over her shoulders. She looked down the road ahead and skipped forward a few steps, humming to herself as she looked back at the sun, her forehead creasing slightly as she mentally cursed the Indian summer heat.

Her thoughts moved ahead of her feet, thinking of the small woman who, four years earlier, had invited her to go to the place she was heading for. Mara hadn't taken the invitation seriously at the time, her only thought had been to get the &$+# off the dry land and out of the reach of maniacs like that Juggernaut, who had nearly crushed her for nothing more than giving his happy face boxers a swift upward jerk when she'd seen them sticking out of his pants at the bar she'd been lurking in.

Now she was, again, on the run. Atlantis had been fun, and her dolphin family still playful, but she needed to duck out of the range of the underwater kingdom for a while. Namor had been seriously ticked off when they'd finally found his speedos at the top of the highest flagpole in the city.

Mara grinned at the memory, then glanced upward as a flicker of movement caught her eye. "What the &#$?" She frowned at the barely perceptible speck in the sky, trying to match the shape to any kind of hawk or buzzard that she'd ever seen, then blinked as the thing suddenly dove out of sight and she distinctly saw the bat-like webbing of the wings and understood the size of it.

"The mother of all heatstruck bats. Now I've seen it all," she muttered, then started jogging toward where the figure had disappeared.

A driveway guarded by a tall iron gate soon came into sight, the grim portals standing hospitably open. From around a bend in the drive came the sound of exuberant young voices physically discussing the joys of some sport.

"Oh man," Mara groaned slightly, looking at the pavement stretching before her. Then she cringed at the young laughter. "It's a house full of little kids, no wonder that old lady smelled funny!"

Scowling, she continued forward, then stopped with her hands on her hips as she rounded the bend and the house came into sight. Her initial impression had been wrong. It was not little kids, but big ones, some extremely so. She pondered one huge green boy as he was mobbed by smaller others, then started as a massive, bright blue, feline face was thrust into her own, golden eyes shining in benign inquiry.

"Hank!" bellowed a smoky female voice. "Get your big &#$+ out of her face before you scare her #$&+less!"

The massive cat blinked and looked over his shoulder with what sounded distinctly like a disapproving clearing of the throat. Shaking his head, he turned back to Mara and offered her one huge paw.

"Ai!" she yelped, leaping away from the creature. "Who the #$&+ are you?"

The cat gave a distinct and very human sigh, then seemed to rear up on its haunches. Before her startled eyes it shifted and blurred into a blue-furred man whose gentle golden eyes regarded her with some embarrassment.

"Forgive me," he rumbled in a soft, rich baritone. "I have become so comfortable with mine other skin that I forget at times what form I hold. My name is Henry McCoy." He smiled, fangs protruding slightly from his lower lip. "Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name and the purpose of your visit to Xavier's Academy?"

"My name's none'a your business!" shrieked Mara. Then she forced herself to calm down. "Where's Logan? You know, crazy short lady with claws?"

The blue man flinched and gasped as though she'd punched him in the stomach.

"Logan?" he said with difficulty.

"Yeah, Logan," said Mara angrily. "Lo-gan. Short, smelly, tried to recruit me a few years back. Don't tell me she's not here right now?"

"That's a +&$# of a way to talk about the dead, kid," said a woman with gleaming black hair as she came to frown at Mara, her violet eyes, one surrounded by a black spot, glinting in her milk-white face. The blue-haired teen recognized the smokey voice that had been yelling at 'Hank' earlier.

"Dead? What the $# do ya mean 'dead'?" gasped Mara. Then she glared down at the woman before turning and kicking the gravel at the side of the driveway. "Do I look like an idiot to you? I saw that woman squashed like a bug n' she popped back. What could kill her if not that big scarlet dude?"

"How about vaporization?" The woman's voice was a husky, pain-filled whisper.

Mara stared at her, then took a step back.

"$&#," she growled. Then she spun around and kicked the gravel angrily. "$&#! Just...just great! Now what?"

"You are still most welcome to stay," said Hank softly, his form blurring slightly around the edges and then shifting back to the cat.

The woman looked at him, then sighed and nodded. "Yeah, we've got lots of room, if you can take a loony bin."

"Mr and Mrs McCoy! Bunyip just bit Roach, and now he's pukin' his guts out again!" yelled a young male voice that cracked with the strain its owner was subjecting it to.

Mrs. McCoy said a word that made Mara feel like blushing, then turned and ran toward the group of teenagers, bawling for someone named Jubal to deal with the visitor as the blue sabertooth bounded ahead of her to where a sleek, furry form was bent over with retching.

Mara looked over her shoulder and stared after them, vaguely recognizing the names Jubal and McCoy, but she hadn't paid too much attention to Logan when the woman had mentioned them. She pushed her hair away from her very large pointed ears, sighing to herself and digging through her pockets for her chapstick as footsteps approached her.

"Whaddya want?" growled a light male voice sullenly as familiar cigar smoke suddenly engulfed her.

Mara looked over sharply.

"Excuse me?" she growled back. Then she sniffed and suppressed a cough. "Sheesh, what is it with you people and those disgusting cigars?"

The tall, scruffy-haired Asian guy looked at her indifferently from blue eyes that looked as though they'd seen hell as he crossed his arms over his black T-shirted chest. "Dom said t' deal with ya. Whaddya want?"

"Well, aren't you the cute sidekick," she said, using the chapstick and then putting it away. She studied him, then shook her head. "Logan said you were a happy kid. You don't look so happy to me."

He flinched, then ducked his head and hunched his shoulders for a moment before throwing the cigar aside and clenching his jaw as he gave her an all too familiar smirk. "Funny, this is one'a my good days."

Mara stared back fearlessly, though inside she winced at the smile. Too many people she'd known had had that same look that said they'd been hurt so much that they'd finally just shut off. It creeped her out and made her feel as though she was watching something die.

"So," she said. "Where's the pool?"

He frowned slightly, eyeing her with quiet suspicion, but then turned as a black-haired girl who looked about 15 jogged up and stopped beside him. "Hey, Stitch."

"Hey, Jubes." The girl grinned back, dark eyes sparkling. "Dom asked me to tell you that Mara's staying here for now. You're supposed to show her a room."

Then she glanced at Mara, her face darkening slightly. "She came 'cause Mom invited her."

"Crap." Jubal clenched his jaw again, then turned back to Mara in gruff apology. "They tell ya she's gone?"

"Yeah, I got the memo," she said, looking him up and down again. "N' I don't need a room. Do you have a pool? Pond?"

"Yeah." He returned her scrutiny thoughtfully, his expression lightening as he put an arm around Stitch's shoulders. "But yer gonna need someplace t' put yer crap, too."

Stitch cocked her head, eyes sparkling again. "'N yer gonna haveta share the pool."

"I don't need a place for my crap. I'm utterly without crap that needs a place, if you don't mind. And it's not like I'm gonna chase the doggy-paddlers out of there, I can be nice if I really have to," said Mara. She looked at the girl a little more closely, then realized that she'd heard her refer to Logan as 'Mom'. That probably explained the uncanny likeness, the kid looked like a younger copy of the grouchy old woman.

Jubal snorted and let his arm fall from Stitch's shoulders. "Go on back t' class, kid. I kin do this without yer holdin' my hand."

"Sure." She cocked her head and grinned up at him saucily. "I found out what happened t' yer stash."

"I know." Jubal looked bored, though his eyes were still alive with affection. "Hank 'n Dom drank it last night. I heard 'em singin'. Git goin'."

"See you at dinner." Stitch blew a raspberry and loped away.

"They let minors have booze in this place?" Mara's eyebrows shot up. "If I'd've known that I might have dropped by sooner."

Jubal snorted again as he turned toward the mansion. "They don't 'let' me do nothin', darlin'. I do whatever the #$& I want to."

Mara grinned as she shrugged and followed, intrigued by this boy who seemed a lot different from the kid Logan had talked her ear off about.

He hung back till she was walking beside him, reminding her again of his mentor, then lead her up the front steps and through the open double doors.

"Lettin' in all the freakin' bugs," he muttered, but made no move to close the doors himself as he walked across the expansive foyer.

"Big place." Mara looked around. "That Chuck guy must have some serious cash intake."

Jubal shrugged noncommittally, but then stopped and looked around as someone called his name in a deep, hard-edged voice. "Yeah, Cable?"

Mara looked at the tall, silver-haired man with the robotic eye, then blinked at the small infant in his arms. She decided to reserve judgement on him, he looked powerful enough with his metallic arm, but he was holding a kid. Probably just another grouchy father.

"I have to go and help Hank and Dom with Bunyip. Could you hold Jabez for a few moments?" He held out the dark-haired baby, who was still in the new and floppy stage.

"Sure, bub," said Jubal softly.

Mara shot him a look of surprise at the love in his voice, then blinked as she saw the tender expression on his face as he accepted the baby and cuddled it close to his chest.

"Thanks." Cable blurred sideways and disappeared.

There was a tiny growl from the infant and Jubal laughed, the sound light and full of life.

"Yeah, still trips me out when he does that too, Jabez, darlin'." He nuzzled his cheek against the baby's hair, then turned back the way he'd been headed as though nothing had happened.

"Well, not such a stoney-eyed punk after all, are ya?" said Mara, her long legs keeping up easily as she frowned at the baby.

He glanced at her absently and smiled. "Eh?" Then he looked down as the tiny child frowned back at the water girl and let out a little snarl that was about as ferocious as something a puppy would do.

Mara arched an eyebrow at the smile, a corner of her own mouth twitching, then bared her teeth back at the baby before grunting and shaking her head slightly. "Kids," she muttered under her breath.

-Bleah!- she heard distinctly inside her head as the little one's face dropped into a horrible scowl.

She jumped slightly, both eyebrows shooting up before she scowled again herself. Bad enough it was a baby, but a telepathic baby? Just not good news.

"That kid have a temper?" she asked, looking at the infant warily.

"Nah, she's a sweetheart." Jubal smoothed the baby's back as he glanced through an open doorway. "Hey, Brownie."

"Hey yourself, &$#head," said a female voice from inside. "It's in your room."

"Great." Jubal smirked and continued on.

"Nice girl," Mara commented, still following close behind and rolling her eyes at the sweetheart comment. Kids never seemed to get along with her, and she didn't like them either.

There was a wordless poke at her mind that made her miss a step and catch the wall, and Jubal stopped to look at her quizzically. "You gettin' too dry?"

"I'm..." Mara scowled, then shook her head. "I'm fine."

Jubal quirked an eyebrow, but then looked back down at Jabez.

Mara glared at the tiny girl, then resumed walking, focusing on setting up mental shields, a skill she'd never been particularly good at. But, she assured herself, how hard could it be to block out a baby? This kid wasn't even a year old.

"So, how old are you?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Nineteen," said Jubal absently, then started as Mara got the distinct feeling that she'd just wet herself.

"Would you stop that!" she yelped, backing away from the pair and glaring, fists clenched as she ended up hitting the wall with a thud and an 'oof!'

Jubal regarded her with raised eyebrow for a few minutes, then looked down at the baby. "You felt that?"

"Felt what? What the #& is that kid doing t' me!" cried Mara, glaring at the child.

Jubal's smirk returned, knowing and downright evil, a twin to the one that Mara often saw in the mirror. "Talkin' t' ya."

"Well, make her stop!" hissed Mara. "I don't talk to babies!" Then she stopped as the baby calmly quirked an eyebrow before farting loudly and looking away.

Jubal snorted with laughter, his smirk turning into a rotten grin. "Live with it, darlin'."

Mara stared at the baby, then choked to suppress a laugh of her own and shook her head. "Whatever, bub."

Jubal's grin vanished like a light switched off as he lowered his face to Jabez' hair. "Come on, water's this way."

Mara knew that she had touched a nerve, and could guess why. She walked the rest of the way in silence, her spirits lifting as she caught the scent of warm salt water from somewhere ahead of them.

She paused as Jubal stopped in front of the last door at the end of the hall, then started as it opened seemingly on its own and swung open to reveal an indoor pool. He glanced at her, then turned back the way they'd come and walked away without another word.

Mara looked after him, then gaped at the pool. It looked almost like an indoor jungle pond, tropical plants and trees growing all over the walls and the scent of the water clear and healthy. She walked forward, then crouched down and touched the surface, delighted with the quality of the salt water. It was by far the best pool she'd ever seen indoors.

"Huh, looks like Logan wasn't lying," she muttered.

The water suddenly dipped away from her fingers, then rippled softly. As she watched, it seemed to form a transparent skin, which drew together and sank under the surface next to a pair of swim trunks that lay on the bottom of the pool, then congealed into the form of a young man.

"Huh." Mara stared at him and stood. "Well, it's not a dolphin... Still."

She shrugged, then leapt into a graceful dive, slipping into the water without a splash and letting out a sigh of pleasure. She did a quick lap around the pool, then turned and swam towards the form, blinking.

"Are you somebody?" she asked, her voice echoing through the water.

"Yes," said a soft voice that she felt more than heard as the figure turned toward her bashfully, revealing a bluff, open face that was slightly flushed. "Do you need the pool?"

She blinked, her fingers and toes extending to make full use of the webbing in between them as she rose off the floor of the pool and circled him, her long blue hair shimmering and wrapping around her like some kind of strange aquatic plant as she peered at him curiously. She didn't mind her loose sweatpants and small tanktop getting soaked, she wasn't planning on leaving the pool any time soon anyway.

"You don't need to leave, these pools get boring when they're empty," she said, looking him over. He was cute in a way, and obviously shy. Mara grinned at him.

He ducked his head and crossed his arms over his muscular chest, his cheeks turning an even brighter colour as his short dark hair moved in the current of her movement. "I'm Donnie."

"I'm Mara," she said, blinking again. She didn't need to while she was under water, but this kid was scared enough without her staring continually at him and she didn't feel like being mean right now.

She circled him once more, then backed off a little and skimmed the bottom of the pool lightly before spinning to face him again.

"Don't be scared kid, I'm not a piranha." She smirked.

Donnie tried hard to smile but then bit his lip, blurted a hasty apology, and bolted. Mara was left bobbing in his wake, watching as he trotted away through the door.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes, then snorted with laughter. A second later she yawned.

"Aw heck, too much fun, not enough sleep." She sighed to herself, looking around. Swimming to the far end of the pool she crouched on the floor, deciding a quick nap couldn't hurt anyone.

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She was wakened some time later as the door to the pool room banged open and looked up to watch as a huge, muscular blond man gently lowered an unconscious Donnie into the water and held him there till he dissolved.

"Huh?" she wriggled through her hair and started to swim over, but then paused, suddenly worried she might be swimming through the kid.

She backed off, then decided to play it safe and rose to the surface, the water sliding off her skin smoothly as she looked the man over and scowled.

"What happened to Nerves?" she asked.

"Dried out." The guy frowned back from amber eyes, then lifted a clawed hand and scratched one sideburn thoughtfully.

"Dried out? Huh. Why'd he run outta the pool then?" She frowned, not waiting for a reply before she slid back under the surface and looked around, waiting for the boy to re-appear.

A soft splash at the surface caught her attention, and she looked up to see the guy gesturing for her to come up.

"He ain't gonna take human shape again fer a bit," he said as she poked the very top of her head out of the water and gave him a look. "Takes 'im a couple hours t' recover, 'n 'e might do it better if yer not here. Y' kin come back later."

Mara scowled horrifically at him and rose further from the water.

"Yeah?" she said. "Why is that, exactly?"

"Y'saw how skittish 'e is," he responded imperturbably. "Besides, it's gettin' t' be supper time."

"What if I don't eat?" she said, then vanished underwater again.

Crouching at the bottom of the pool she waited, then sprang upward, shooting through the water and flying out of the pool with a showy splash, landing on all fours at the water's edge. She shook like a dog, dousing the man in water as it flew off in all directions.

Finally, she stood, flicked her hair to rid it of the last remaining water and looked down at herself before lifting her eyes to the stranger and blinking as she was hit with a spray of water from his own vigorous shake.

"I kin hear yer belly growlin'," he said calmly, as though nothing odd had happened.

Mara put a hand on her hip, arching one delicate blue eyebrow at him. "And your name is?"

"Victor Creed." He peered into the water, then turned and loped out of the room.

"Nice. A felon. Just freaking wonderful, the company they keep here, even if they do have a nice pool," Mara sighed, turning to leave. At the door she looked over her shoulder. "Hey Nerves, don't lose yourself in there."

She strolled down the hallway, listening to the sounds of life that stirred the huge old house, then stopped short as a laughing couple came from the door to the room where Jubal's friend had been earlier. "Do you freakin' mind, I'm trying to walk here?"

"That's it, stand in his way!" cried the woman, her pale blond hair in disarray as she leaped and grabbed the man around the neck. "I have you, Bobby! Now give it to me!"

"Ow, Emma! I can't breath..." The brown-haired man pulled at her arms, then held a small parcel tantalizingly in front of her eyes.

Emma grabbed it with both hands, her pale blue eyes fixed on it greedily. "My order! Yes!" Laughing merrily, she ran back into the room, her white spike heels soundless on the thick carpet.

Bobby rubbed his neck and grinned at Mara. "Hi. Sorry about that."

She looked at him as if he were insane, then after the woman.

"Yeah, sure," she said. "Whatever."

His grin went slightly mischievous as he offered a hand. "Bobby Drake. That's my wife Emma."

Mara looked at the chilled digits, then made a face.

"No touching." She looked down at him and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "My name's Mara."

He flushed like a boy caught with his hand in the cookies, his grin still firmly in place. "Hi, Mara. Are you going to be staying here?"

"Bobby, come and see these! They're even more exquisite than they were in the pictures!" called Emma excitedly.

"If I feel like it," said Mara, locking a piercing gaze on him. "You'd better go, sounds like your wife's got a treat."

He blinked, then flinched slightly as loud music suddenly blasted out from upstairs. "Oh boy, poor Jubes. I'm coming, Em. Nice meeting you, Mara."

He waved absently and disappeared inside the room, closing the door behind him.

"Jubes, huh?" said Mara, looking up at the ceiling. Then she grinned. "Hey, whatcha know, Audioslave!"

Turning, she walked down the hall toward where she remembered seeing the stairs, grinning at the faint rattling of paintings that came from the pounding bass and electric guitar. There were two teens dancing in the foyer as she crossed it, but she ignored them and ran lightly up the dark wood staircase, her eyes widening as the music got louder.

Then she paused as she noticed two figures standing in front of a door near the end of the hall. One, faintly glowing and indistinct, was blocking the way of the other, a brown-haired man in red sunglasses.

"Back off, Scooter," she heard a husky female voice say. "Just let 'em be."

"Ruh, he's underage! I won't stand by and let him destroy his life!" said the man in a voice full of frustration and pain.

"Just let 'em be," repeated the glowing form softly, then glanced toward Mara.

The brown-haired man glanced toward her too, then looked up as though someone else had spoken.

"Fine!" he growled, his face contorted with anger and grief. "I'm going. But I think you're making a mistake, Charles!"

The glowing figure watched him walk away, then turned back to Mara. "Took ya long enough, kid."

Mara frowned, trying to make out features in the softly shining face, then blinked as the figure disappeared.

She stared for a moment, the odd greeting unsettling her as she realized the voice was familiar. More than familiar...

Mara shook her head. If Logan had a kid, why wouldn't she have a twin? She didn't bother dwelling on it, instead walking to the door and putting an ear against it, smiling in satisfaction at the pounding music. Shoving the door open without a second thought, she swayed back slightly and grinned widely as the music hit her like a physical force. Then she blinked at the scene inside the room.

The boy Jubes was laying on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a half-empty whiskey bottle hanging out of one hand. Mara tilted her head, staring at the expression on his face and feeling a chill run up her spine at the mixture of weary age and youthful vulnerability, savage anger and overwhelming sorrow. The total lack of caring or hope that she saw there nearly made her reel back.

She swallowed, feeling her knees go weak, though she locked them firmly and gripped the doorframe, her short nails leaving scratches in the wood. Tearing her eyes away from his face she noticed the wrist of the hand that held the bottle, and the pale scars on the front and back, as though something had been thrust through it. Filled with new dread, she tried to force herself to look away, but found herself unable.

Finally she straightened and walked into the room, standing next to the rumpled bed and shaking her head as she felt the music tremble inside of her, almost deafening her sharp hearing. Face furrowed in a frown, she flopped to the floor, leaning against the bed and grabbing the bottle, then glancing at the brand before she took a swig herself.

"Neugh!" she said, making a face and bringing her knees up, then sniffed the drink and shook her head again before sighing and bringing the bottle to her mouth once more.

A hand suddenly grasped her wrist in a grip like an iron band and she looked up into Jubal's angry face.

"Whadya think yer doin'?" he snarled, eyes boring into hers from under his forelock.

"That's nice," she said calmly, twisting her wrist and snapping it out of his grasp, the move made easier by her smooth, rubbery skin. "If you're trying to catch a fish you don't squeeze, Brainiac. And if it's your booze you're worried about, it's called replacement. Besides, you'll be sick if you drink all this crap by yourself."

"So?" He let himself flop down with his face hanging over the edge, his eyes going dead and gone again as the song started over. "Hurry up 'n drink 'n give it back."

Mara turned and got to her knees and put her elbows on his bed, then took a hefty swig before giving the bottle back and looking around at the posters on the walls.

"What's that band?" she said, pointing at a group with a black, fur-covered girl in a leather corset and pants in front of the other members. "Didn't know there were popular muties in the business."

Jubal drained half of what was left in the bottle in one long draught, then looked up at the poster indifferently as he handed it back. "The Lovely Dictators. They're playin' tonight at Hell."

"Hell," Mara repeated thoughtfully, downing the rest of the whiskey. Then she grinned. "Sounds like a nice place. Hey, I know! Let's go!"

"I'm grounded." He smirked, then got up and went over to the dresser, where he gave his hair a quick, automatic sweep with the comb and picked up a set of keys. "Come on."

She got to her feet and grinned. "Lead the way."

Jubal went over to the door and stuck his head into the hall to listen, then scowled absently and shut it. "Window."

Mara turned to follow, but then nearly jumped out of her skin as that glowing woman suddenly appeared next to him.

"Don't do it, kid. You've had too much t' drink," said the familiar voice.

"Bite me, Wolvie. You're dead." Jubal went to the window and opened it, then slipped through.

"Jubes?" said Mara, sticking her head out of the window and grinning down at him, holding onto the window frame as she wobbled. "Sheesh, a couple sober years n' you turn into a lightweight," she muttered to herself.

"Come on!" he hissed, ignoring the low voice of the ghostly one, who had followed him outside and was standing at the base of the wall.

Mara chuckled, then leapt out of the window as gracefully as she dived, only with a rougher landing as she hit on her butt.

"Crap, I _am_ a lightweight now," she muttered, lifting herself up and leaning against the wall as she nodded at Jubal. "Where now?"

"Behind the gazebo," came the voice of that glowing being, followed by a broken sigh and a muttered string of what sounded like not-curses. "Just don't git yerselvs killed."

"Why? You didn't take the last slot in the graveyard." Jubal vanished into the night.

The glowing woman sighed again and turned to look at Mara, Logan's face showing clearly from under close-cropped hair before she vanished as abruptly as she'd appeared.

"Lo..." Mara turned, staring after her, then turned and ran after Jubal, listening for him and tracking the scent of whiskey through the dark to find her way. The roar of a bike suddenly shattered the night, making leave the ground in a startled jump and then shy sideways several steps before she started giggling hysterically. She hurried on to the back of the little white garden house, then paused when she saw the figure on the giant black Harley, his face covered by a black helmet.

"Very nice." She chuckled, then hurried over and got on the back, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking around. "Whenever you're ready."

His reply was to nearly bean her with a second helmet as he thrust it over his shoulder, then to burn rubber out of the yard before she'd even finished fastening it, the front wheel of the bike leaving the tormented lawn as he gunned toward the driveway.

"Heh, waste no time, why don't ya." Mara grabbed him again as they sped off into the night. Then she glanced at the ground and woods shooting by and groaned softly, bowing her head and closing her eyes. V_ehicles. Ugh,_ she thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Mara staggered slightly, seeing double as Jubal guided her past two massive mutant bouncers and into the full blast of recorded music. "Stinking &$# bike..."

"Suck it up, darlin'." He dropped her on a barstool and looked at the huge reptilian bartender. "Hey, Gator. Two Bulls, straight up."

The big green man threw his bar towel over his shoulder and cocked his head, tasting the air with a forked tongue, then thumped two cans down in front of them. "Hey, Jubal, long time no see."

"Yeah," said the teen indifferently, eyes wandering the room as he popped the tab on his can and chugged the contents down in one go.

Mara grabbed the other can, then looked around the noisy club and raised it slightly to Gator before chugging it.

Then she grinned at Jubal.

"Well tadpole, you know the places to hang, I'll give you that." She chuckled and looked back at Gator. "So, you're the one I speak to about beer. What do you recommend?"

"Sorry," said the lizard man gruffly. "We don't serve that stuff. It's caffeine, sugar, or their various combinations only."

"Oh, one of those dives," said Mara contently, glancing at Jubal again. "A sober spot. Well that's cool. Question stands-what do you recommend that's strong?"

"Do you like 'em sweet or just strong?" asked Gator, setting two more Red Bulls in front of Jubal.

"Surprise me." She shrugged.

"Sure." He turned away and started pouring from various containers into a blender, then gave it a whirl and dumped it into a tall, footed glass and set it in front of her.

Mara stared down at the frothy green concoction. "What is it?"

Gator shrugged. "Green."

"Looks a treat." She held it up to the lights before shrugging back at him. "Bottom's up." She lifted the glass and starting to chug it. Her eyes shot open at the taste, but she kept going as the lime mixture sent shivers down her spine and legs. Her eyes started to water as the sugar jolted throughout her body, and when she finally finished she gasped, setting the glass down as she reeled back and almost fell off her stool.

"$#! That was awesome!" she said, staring at the man as her vision swam. "So lime and everything else!"

Then she giggled and offered the glass back.

"Surprise me again?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

"Different colour this time?" He took the glass and put it in the sink, then paused and looked over his shoulder with one hand halfway to the blender.

Mara shrugged happily. "Surprises! You know it's what makes a girl smile."

Gator nodded and set to work.

Mara watched him for a few minutes as he measured carefully this time, then turned to Jubal, who was absently gulping down what looked to be his fourth Red Bull from the cans sitting in front of him.

"Jubes?" said a girl's voice. "What're you doin' here? I thought you were grounded."

He blinked and set his can down, then turned and squinted at the black and pink-haired girl. "Buzz off, Munkee."

"I live here," she retorted softly, reaching up to finger one furry ear. "And I'm not squealing. I was just wondering if you'd gotten off."

"Yeah, right." Jubal snorted and finished his Red Bull, then turned to stare toward the stage.

Munkee turned to Mara, who was now staring into the depths of something totally colourless in a martini glass, then cocked her head. "You're that new chick that just showed up at Xavier's."

Mara looked at her and laughed.

"I'm trying it out. The pool's alright, but I don't know about all the punks and felons," she said. Then she picked up the drink and downed it. It had no taste, but as soon as she put the glass down and frowned she had the biggest caffeine rush she'd ever experienced.

"Nice tattoos," said Munkee, looking at her arms.

"Thankie," said Mara, starting to giggle uncontrollably.

"There goes the band." Gator turned toward the stage as a massive black cat man in leather pants and vest stood up and gave a roar that left the contents of Mara's skull vibrating.

"Woohoo!" she said, eyes huge as she spun and looked at Jubal. "Hey, boy, you still out of it?"

He blinked at her absently, as though he'd forgotten she was there, then shook the last can and dropped it. "They'll start with 'Dead Man Walking'."

Mara looked back at the stage as what looked like one of the riding beasts of the Nazgûl stood up and announced the band in a sultry female voice, then reeled back as the massive speakers let out a mind-numbing roar of bass and drum.

She grinned, then nudged Jubal playfully. "There even a pit here?" she leaned over and yelled to be heard over the music.

He frowned at her, his hair falling into his eyes and partially obscuring them, then nodded and pointed. "Biggest pit in the city, darlin'."

"Then come on," said Mara, eyebrows shooting up. "Let's go, punk boy! I haven't moshed in ages!"

He grimaced and gave her a slightly pleading look, obviously wanting to be left alone to work on a caffeine overdose, but she wasn't about to let him get away with that.

"Don't give me those eyes, no matter how big and blue they are!" she said, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Come on, what's the point of coming here to sulk? You can sulk at home later. Have fun now!"

Jubal shook his head and snagged something off of a waitress' tray, then knocked it back and grimaced with one eye closed.

"Fine, be that way," snapped Mara. She jumped up and grabbed a drink from the counter and threw it over his face, then seized him by the arms and hauled him up, shoving him through the crowds towards the pit and pulling him in along with her.

"Now mosh, or I'll take ya back home now!" she yelled gleefully, laughing and starting to shove with the crowd.

"You threw a mindbender on me!" he yelled, then grabbed her in the ribs right where she was ticklish.

"Ai!" she squealed, pushing him away, only to have the crowd toss him right back at her. She cringed helplessly as he arched an eyebrow and continued to poke her ribs, his eyes suddenly sparkling with boyish mischief.

Quailing and giggling uncontrollably she shrank away, then lost her balance and hit the floor. Jubal and another guy quickly helped her back up before she was trampled, and Jubes flashed her a grin that nearly melted her heart. Suddenly she could see the boy that Logan had loved, and he was adorable.

She stared for a moment, then grinned.

"Nice, punk," she said, then yelped as he casually poked her ticklish spot again. "Enough! I give!"

He laughed, then quickly crouched and ducked under her before straightening with her riding on his shoulders. "w00t! We're the tallest thing here!"

Mara squealed slightly, long arms swinging for a moment before she put one hand on top of his head, feeling surprised at how silky his hair was.

"Hey, yeah," she said, looking down and seeing him laughing his butt off. Then she looked back at the large cat man on the stage and waved her fist.

"#$&# right! Work them vocals!" she yelled, laughing madly as she patted Jubal's head gently and looked at a boy who was staring up at the two of them with huge, glowing green eyes.

"I know you're jealous!" she crowed. "N' yeah, he _is_ the cutest punk-boy here, too bad for you!"

The boy gave her a look as if she were insane, but the delayed rush of caffeine was shooting through her system, egged on by the whiskey the pair had shared earlier, and she didn't even notice him again.

She sank into a joyous haze, her whole being bubbling with a hyperactivity that she hadn't felt in years as the band belted out tune after tune about pain and loss and hope and love.

Then there was a pause in the music and Mara looked up, closing her eyes as she felt the cool breeze that had been blowing on the pit all night wash over her.

"Lemme down," she said, playfully rapping on Jubal's skull. Then she yelped and laughed as he tossed her up, shoved backward a step, and caught her as she fell.

Carefully finding her feet she continued to giggle to herself as she pushed hair out of her face, grinning at him and looking around.

"Well, this is definitely something's I've missed," she said breathlessly. "The closest you get to this in the ocean is getting chased by a bunch of Atlantians into a whirlpool, and that's hardly a hype."

"Heh, Namor's a dweeb." Jubal lifted his hands and let loose a burst of multicoloured fireworks that caused the pit to break out in cheering, then eyed one of the speakers. "Think you could climb up there?"

"Pfft," said Mara, waving her hand. "'Course. What were you thinking?"

"Thinking?" He looked at her innocently. "What's that?"

Then he grabbed her hand and started pulling her through the crowd, laughing merrily at the occasional grumble or insult.

"You're a schemer, a squid could tell you that." Mara arched an eyebrow as she looked around. "What's goin' on?"

"Neko Lynn's trying to get Roy buzzing hard enough so she can sing 'My Main Squeeze' without him freaking out. Jubal reached the speaker and boosted her upward with his hands around her waist.

Mara grinned at his hands on her bare skin, then grabbed the speaker and hauled herself up before she reached back for him.

"And that has what to do with us?" she asked.

"Gives us a chance to get up here," he said happily, easily scrambling up beside her.

Mara grinned, then looked over at the cat man, who was off to one side of the stage swigging stuff from a can she couldn't make out.

"Nice, chug that stuff, boy, give us a good song." She laughed to herself, then smiled at Jubal and looked down. "Is there any security here we need to watch for?"

"We're allowed up here," he said absently, then cupped his hands around his mouth and started yelling, "Roy! Throw us a Bull!" at the top of his lungs.

"Ha, out to deafen me?" Mara crouched and waved cheerily at Roy as he looked over at the pair and grinned, his ears perking at the sight of the two fans on the speaker.

"Jubal!" he roared, his voice causing her to shiver as she felt it in her bones. "Long time no see, man! Here! Someone with t.k. snag this!"

Mara yelped as he hurled a can toward them, but Jubal leaped recklessly into the air and snagged it, then landed and shook his hand. "Thanks, man!" He made a peace sign, then popped the tab and swigged half the drink before passing it to her.

She laughed and finished it, then noticed that those with wings had been moshing in the ceiling rafters, and that the woman who had announced the band was on the other speaker.

"This is awesome, man! This leaves every other pit in the dust!" she crowed, whipping her hair around and throwing half of it over her shoulder, before standing and putting both hands on her hips.

"You said it, chica!" Jubal laughed, then lifted his fist in the air. "Main Squeeze! Main Squeeze!" he roared.

"NO!" bellowed Roy laughingly, obviously too buzzed to think straight, much less act properly.

Mara let out a cheer and joined Jubal in the chant, and slowly the entire crowd started repeating it, fists waving in unison and the bigger or more hyper occupants leaping into the air and jumping on people.

Roy roared back joyously, waving his fists and laughing as he shook his head in denial, then gave a whoop and flinched aside as Neko Lynn pinched him over the ribs.

"You want me to sing?" she turned to the crowd and called out in a beautiful voice flavored with Japan.

"#$& yeah!" Mara and Jubal roared, ready to laugh themselves silly at the look on the cat man's face.

Neko Lynn held up one slender hand, and the whole club fell silent, no one so much as coughing as they waited in hushed expectation.

Mara saw the flash of white teeth as the furry woman turned to her embarrassed husband, then gasped softly as Neko Lynn began to sing in a throaty, perfect alto that dipped and soared over the notes. It was an ardent song of love that praised her husband's body, mind, and voice, and told of their babies who slept safely while their parents sang. It thrilled over Mara's nerves and brought tears to her eyes even as she screamed her appreciation and whipped her hair around.

"Tell it, girl!" bellowed Jubal, then yelped as he stepped wrong and went over the side of the speaker.

Mara gasped and looked down after him, then laughed as she saw him being crowd-surfed toward the stage. Two brawny men at the base of the speakers held up their arms to her and called for her to jump, and she yelped in glee, then let herself fall backwards and got another headrush as she felt herself safely caught and passed away after Jubal.

She landed gently on the stage and was hefted up and glomped close to a furry chest partially covered by a leather vest as the band sang what was obviously the last song, as the main lyric was, 'Get your butt home and go to bed!'

She laughed as she leaned against Roy, hearing Jubal giving all he had to the last few lyrics and watching as he leaned back-to-back with Neko Lynn and hammed for the crowd.

"Get your butt home and go to bed/tomorrow you're gonna feel kicked in the head!" Mara let out a gasp as Roy poked her in the ribs, then poked him back, making both chuckle through the last line, though their voices blended sweetly regardless.

"You partied hard and it felt fine, but tomorrow you'll feel like you let off a mine!"

The music ended, and then Mara gave a breathless whoop as she was thrown over Roy's shoulder and born backstage like a trophy.

"Lemme down, you big hair-ball!" she laughed, hitting his back lightly and trying to see past her hair as she was carried up a flight of stairs. "Oh man...that was great... Pumme down!"

Then she let out an 'ooph!' as she was gently dropped on something soft and pushed her hair aside to see that she was slumped on a big couch with Jubal's fingers inches from her ribs.

"Don't," she wheezed breathlessly, unable to stop tittering. "Please don't... I'd kick ya, n' trust me, that would hurt!"

He paused and eyed her, eyes sparkling, then dove in and blew a raspberry on her belly and darted away again before she could blink.

"Ohh no!" she said, laughing helplessly before she rolled over and fell off the couch with a yelp, then sat up quickly and looked around with wide eyes.

A roar and a whoop made her squeak, and she turned her head to see Jubal pinned in Roy's grasp as the big furry man rubbed his cheek on the teen's head and purred.

"Get off! Argh, you're gonna get fur all over my good pants!" laughed Jubal. "Get a life, man!"

Neko Lynn gave a deep chuckle of satisfaction, then came to crouch companionably next to Mara and offer her a tall plastic bottle of Orangina.

Mara took the drink and grinned, then took a deep swing before she raised the drink to the woman next to her.

"Great performance," she said. "One a' the best live shows I've seen."

"Thank you." Neko Lynn grinned, then set her own bottle of pop down and leaned back against the couch as she unhooked her corset and cast it onto the couch, revealing a black tube top. "Mmm." She twitched her fluffy tail and stretched luxuriously, then grumbled and shook one leg as Jubal and Roy's antics knocked the bottle off the water cooler and doused one corner of the carpet.

"Dragon's going to be steamed," noted the six-armed keyboard player from where she snuggled contentedly in a big chair with a guy in a leather jacket and a little boy wrapped in a Lilo and Stitch blanket.

"If she notices." Neko Lynn turned to Mara. "I'm Neko Lynn. The keyboard player's Handy, 'n that's her husband Norm and their kid Billy. Drummer is Foal, 'n that's her husband Raph."

Mara recognized one of the bouncers as the big man with turtle-like armor plates on his body turned to look at her from where he was trying to soak up the mess as Roy and Jubal continued roughhousing. Looking at the one-eyed Handy and her son, who was a smaller copy of his mother, she noticed they also shared Ferengi ears. She nodded and grinned at each person as they were introduced, and then pulled herself up, flopping back onto the couch.

"And the chick over there in the corner playing with the bass is Flame Girl, formerly of Sealy's army, but now as proud a Morlock as the rest of us!" announced Foal grandly before taking another swig of cola and leaning back against her husband as he came to sit beside her, her stumpy feet propped against the arm of the blue leather couch the two of them rested on.

Mara nodded to the bass player too, though she seemed to be off in her own world as she strummed away at her instrument. Then she turned back to Neko Lynn. "You play here often?"

"About once a month," said the cat woman absently, kicking out with both feet as her husband and Jubal rolled near, then scratching one delicate, elven-looking ear.

"Wow, you two are brimming with maturity." Mara laughed at the boys, shaking her head as she glanced at the others. "How long have you known punk boy here?"

"About four years," said Neko Lynn softly as the wrestlers rolled away again. She glanced up at Mara, her deep blue eyes suddenly full of shadows and sorrow. "It's good to see him play again."

Mara's own eyes hardened as she looked back at him, though he was too caught up in his game to notice her regard.

He was definitely different, and if what he had acted like earlier had been any indication of how he usually was... The thought somehow depressed the aquatic girl. She liked him like this, and felt like she just wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him when he grinned at her. Shaking her head she tried to banish the thoughts from her mind, looking away sharply and trying to appear bored.

"Yeah, well, maybe he just needs to get out more," she said gruffly, staring at her feet as a hot blush stained the back of her neck.

"Ack, that's cheating!" gasped Roy as Jubal got his arm behind him and pinned him.

"Like, we were playin' by rules?" The teen blinked and looked at Mara with wide eyes. "Were we playin' by rules, chica?"

Mara glanced at him and shrugged, hiding another embarrassed grin with a fiery glance that just asked for trouble. "Depends. Do you want to lose or win?"

He quirked an eyebrow and blinked, then shook his head slightly and laughed. "That made no freaking sense."

Mara laughed too, feeling her stomach muscles ache. "If you want to lose to hair-ball you play by the rules. If a boy like you wants a chance to win, anything goes. Unless 'anything' includes landing on me. Then I win."

Jubal's grin widened, and then the next thing she knew she laying on her belly with her arms pinned gently but inexorably behind her back. "Rule, never let your guard down when giving a challenge."

Mara gasped, then squirmed as he poked her in the ribs again.

"Gerroff!" she howled, wiggling furiously but futilely, twin tears of laughter streaming down her face. "Please, c'mon! I wasn't throwin' a challenge, oh man, please!"

She felt his hand leave her ribs and gently stroke her hair as the sound of the wind began to sing softly in the room.

"Hoo," she said, enjoying his caress for a moment before she started giggling again, unable to help herself as she buried her face in the cushions.

"We should go home," said Jubal softly, moving so that he sat beside her and leaning against her as his hand moved from her hair to the space between her shoulder blades.

"Why?" Mara sighed, feeling the last of the booze, caffeine, and sugar haze burning away, leaving her tired and content as she sat up, pressing slightly against the back rub as she rolled her shoulders. "Who's gonna miss us? That big guy with the red glasses? Or the felon?"

"Yeah, Sabie will." Jubal put his other hand up to work on a kink in her shoulder muscle. "So'll Ruh 'n Stitch, 'n Jabez. She likes you, you know."

"The baby?" Mara couldn't manage a frown as the muscle eased. "She kept messing with my head!"

"She's not that good at talking yet, except with Nate and Storm." Jubal gave her back a last pat, then turned to look up with a sigh. "Hey, Mistral, thanks for the breeze in the pit."

There was a burst of faraway laughter, and Mara realized with a start that there really was a wind blowing around up by the ceiling.

"She's a little hyper," said Munkee softly from where she perched on a stool in front of the computer desk.

"Wow," said Mara, looking straight up, then shooting a quick glance at Jubal before she turned to Neko Lynn and Roy and grinned at both of them and the rest of the band.

"Thanks a lot." She sighed. "The concert was a great time."

"No problem," said the black catwoman absently, intent on carefully braiding a small spotted feather into her husband's mane as he lay with his head in her lap and purred ecstatically. Then she glanced up as a little green man in a kilt and Mohawk climbed the back of the couch and looked Mara in the eye.

"Hey, baby, what's your sign?" He smirked.

"Shut up, LGM." Jubal backhanded him and sent him flying.

Mara looked back over the couch and stared at the little man, then looked at Jubal.

"I'm sorry, who was that?" she asked, scowling.

"The little green man." He leaned forward and took a dictionary off the coffee table as the tiny punk screamed out his undying love, then turned and dropped the heavy book over the back of the couch. The screaming cut off abruptly as most of the people in the room snickered and smirked.

Mara's eyebrow raised, then she snickered herself.

"Sorry about that," rumbled Roy without opening his eyes. "He's actually pretty harmless."

"That's just because he's too small to do any real damage," said Munkee sourly as she got up and went to look behind the couch. "Oh, hi, Dragon."

Mara turned and saw the announcer wrapping the tuft-tailed girl in her wings, snaky neck bent as she lay her head against the teen's shoulder.

"That's Dragon," said Jubal softly as the band members and their families called out greetings to the reptilian woman. "She's Gator's wife 'n Munkee's adopted mom. She 'n Gator own Hell."

"Oh, hi," said Mara, looking up at the mutant, who looked nothing like a human being, but she wasn't one to judge on face alone. "Nice place you've got."

Dragon opened her wings and let Munkee go, then turned to regard her visitors with dark red, slit-pupiled eyes, her long neck weaving slightly.

"Thank you," she said at last, her sweet voice nearly too soft to hear. Then she looked back as Gator came up behind her and gathered her into his arms, twining the tip of his tail around hers.

"How's the baby?" asked Handy softly from the recliner chair.

Dragon turned back, seeming to brighten as she gently shrugged her husband away and went over to where a plastic laundry basket stood on a table by the wall.

"Hank thinks he'll be hatching any day," said Gator nervously as he watched her gently lift a blanket wrapped bundle from the basket and hold it close. "He's getting too big for his shell, we can see his outlines right through it."

"I'll laugh if it's a girl," said Neko Lynn absently.

Mara watched, eyes wide open in curiosity as she stared at the bundled egg, noticing Dragon's self-consciousness. She wasn't thrilled about the idea of babies, but these people were nice.

"Congrats," she said.

"Thanks." Gator went over to look at his unborn child, then leaned down to look at the control on the electric blanket.

"So, what's your story, Mara?" asked Handy as Munkee stooped and picked up the little green man by one leg and dropped him headfirst down the stairs.

"My story?" Mara repeated. Her face fell into its poker position as she drank the last of her Orangina and shrugged, staring at the label. "I've lived in the ocean since I was 12, had to bail, went to the X place by invitation. I'm camping out there for a while."

"Not a bad place to be, I guess," said Handy. "Probably better than the sewer."

"Sewer rocks!" Her little boy stirred and announced. "Specially when Unca Roy 'n Auntie Lynn sing!"

Neko Lynn chuckled and smoothed Roy's mane, then started braiding all the tiny braids she'd made into a sort of faux Mohawk as he sighed in his sleep.

"I love you!" The voice of the little green man cut off abruptly as Munkee dropped a bright pink bowling ball down the stairwell.

"Yeah, you'd better run, you little freak," she snarled. "'N I want my Barbie's clothes back, too!"

There was another burst of faraway laughter, then the wind started to whistle Dixie.

Jubal looked up, then turned to Mara, his eyes dark and sad again. "We should get goin'."

"You haven't seen these guys in a while. Aren't they your friends?" She arched an eyebrow. "Come on, Jubes."

He shrugged, his eyes coming to rest on Dragon and Gator's egg. "I see 'em all the time. Scott's a real &$# if I stay out too late."

"What's the big deal? Tell him you were showing me around, if he cares just walk away," said Mara. Then she sighed and shrugged too as she saw him draw further into himself. "Alright. If you really want to go, fine."

"Thanks, chica," he gave her a ghost of his sweet heartbreaker grin and turned to Gator. "We've gotta get goin', man. I'll catch ya later."

The scaly man glanced up from his wife with a blink, then looked disappointed. "You could stay the night. The rest are."

Jubal shook his head. "Naw, Stitch'd worry."

"Alright." Gator gave a hissing sigh and gently bumped Dragon with his snout, then untwined his tail from hers. "I'd better get back to work anyhow, there's no telling what Boom-Boom's doing at the bar."

Jubal smirked and turned to the others, giving gruff farewells and avoiding the pleading looks in their eyes before going to stand by the stairs and watch Munkee hurl down objects and abuse.

"It was great meeting you all," said Mara, getting up as well and nodding at everyone as she went to stand with him.

"Are you gonna let us through?" She smirked down at Munkee. "I'm not bowling ball-proof myself."

The girl yelled one last scathing insult, then looked up with a blink. "Yeah, go ahead. Kick him for me on the way by, would you?"

"Let him be, Munkee." Gator squeezed her shoulder gently, then led the way down the staircase.

"Hey, baby!" The little green man leered as Mara stepped over him.

She paused and looked over her shoulder, then casually kicked him into the wall before continuing on her way.

Gator turned at the bottom of the stairs and grabbed both teens into a rough hug, then let them go and pointed toward the end of the hall. "You can go out that way and skip the club. I'll see you later." His golden eyes rested sadly on Jubal for a minute, then he gave the boy a thump on the shoulder and went through the steel door that stood next to them.

Jubal watched him go, then turned wordlessly toward the far door.

Mara watched Gator leave, then looked at the black-haired teen as she walked beside him until they reached the door, where she grabbed his arm and turned him towards her.

"Jubes..." She stopped, staring at him for a moment and wishing that he would smile at her again. "You..."

Shaking her head and not allowing herself second thoughts, she leaned in towards him and gently touched her lips to his.

She heard him gasp. Then he pushed away from her and looked at her with eyes gone wide with what she could only describe as terror before turning and bolting through the door.

"Well," she sighed, combing one hand through her hair. "That was great. This must be why I haven't gotten seriously buzzed in a while." Shaking her head she calmly walked after him.

The bike stood alone when she reached it and she paused and looked around, then cocked her head as a soft sound reached her ears from somewhere near the corner of the club. She looked toward it, wondering if it was him. If it was, she wasn't sure about what would happen if she went over there. She never second guessed herself, that was how she lived. But she had never wanted to be so close to anybody as she wanted to be with this boy now. When he was happier, anyway. Now she was confused, a little embarrassed, but mostly tired. Squaring her shoulders, she walked toward the sound, every part of her poised for fight or flight.

At first she couldn't see anything, but then her club-dazzled eyes made out a form huddled against the dirty bricks of the wall. The sound came again, and she recognized it now as a choked sob. Jubal sat there hugging his legs with his face hidden on his knees.

"Oh man," said Mara, sighing and leaning against the wall. Now she felt guilty and plenty more embarrassed.

"Listen, dude, I didn't mean t' upset you. I'm sorry, alright?" she said, rubbing her eyes to try and clear them. "N' I didn't mean to kill the night, either."

He flinched at the sound of her voice, then gave a huge sniff and scrunched smaller, exuding shame and pain.

Mara sighed, getting a little closer and sliding down the wall to the ground beside him.

"You want me to leave?" she asked, unnerved by the grief she was witnessing. "I can go, I don't want to... I don't wanna hurt you. I didn't mean to."

"No," came a tortured whisper. "Don't go. I'm sorry... I'm sorry."

He choked as his shoulders started to shake, the low apology continuing in broken cadence.

"Yeah, me too," said Mara, scooching over next to him. She didn't know what to say for a moment, but she was starting to get very scared. This guy looked just about over the edge.

"You... I mean, do you want me to drive us back? Maybe Stitch or someone..." she trailed off, knowing something was wrong with him, but also knowing she had no idea what it was, though somebody at the mansion must. She raised a hand and held it over his back, but then hesitated as she remembered what had happened with the kiss. "Jubes? Please, I don't know what to do." She blinked and drew her hand back, hugging herself absently.

She saw him struggle for control, then gasped as he suddenly leaned against her, her arms going around him automatically.

"It's... It's ok," she said, rocking him gently as her head bowed and touched his shoulder. She realized that it had been him trying to comfort her that had enabled him to reach out, but she resisted her own tears tooth and nail. "It'll all be ok, Jubes."

"Hurts!" he gasped, his whole body shaking with the force of his grief. "It hurts...I'm sorry...sorry."

Mara held him, her eyes squeezed shut as the inner storm rocked them both, then rubbed his back as the tears started to abate.

"It'll be ok," she said again, feeling the warmth of his body through her shirt, which was nice in the cold night. She timidly touched her forehead to the back of his neck, one hand stroking his hair as she tried to regulate her breathing to keep from freaking out herself.

He leaned into the embrace, then sucked in a huge breath and straightened slowly so that she had time to let go.

"Sorry." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a piece of worn toilet paper, squeezing his eyes shut as he blew his nose with enough force to pop ears.

Mara leaned back and looked at him, then turning her eyes to the ground as she shivered slightly.

"I'm... I didn't mean to upset you," she muttered, looking away towards the bike.

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his warmth, his eyes gazing at something she couldn't see. "I know, chica."

Mara went rigid for a moment, then slowly relaxed and put her head on his shoulder again with a sigh.

"You're really cute when you smile, you know that?" she said, her eyes flickering back up to his face.

She saw him flinch, but then square his jaw and nod wordlessly, the ghost of an old memory passing through his eyes.

"We should be gettin' back," he said softly, though he made no move to get up.

"We could stay here," said Mara, picking her head up and looking at the bike. "Say you were showing me around and the bike broke. It's late."

He shook his head absently and smoothed her hair where it lay over her shoulder, his eyes still looking far away. Looking at him, Mara had the uncanny thought that at that moment she could see both the laughing, lovable boy that he had been, and the loving, compassionate man that he someday might become. The notion made her shiver. She wanted the joyful spirit she'd seen in the concert back, but she knew from the way his friends regarded him that it didn't surface very often. She sighed to herself, then forced herself to stand up and hold out a hand to him.

"Come on, we'd better go," she muttered.

He rose to his feet in a smooth, graceful movement, then took a step toward the bike and stopped to wait for her to walk beside him.

She did so, taking her helmet and strapping it on before she climbed on behind him, then gritted her teeth and braced herself for the ride back to the mansion.

The trip out of the city was smooth and fairly uneventful and she even found herself relaxing very slightly, scowling through her face shield at the blur of darkened landscape.

Then Jubal stiffened in her arms and she felt the bike swerve slightly.

"What?" she yelled.

"Oil!" he bellowed back as the Harley slewed to one side and went into a spin.

Mara bared her teeth and held on for her life, feeling him struggle to keep the machine on its wheels as the world whirled around them.

Then the spinning stopped and they were still upright, Jubal's chest heaving under her hands as he caught his breath.

"You okay?" He turned slightly to look over his shoulder.

"Oh man," she said, her fists whiteknuckled on his T-shirt as she shivered, her eyes closed tightly. "Oh man...oh man, oh man!"

She was suddenly aware of a rush of air and the blaring of a mighty horn. Then something clipped the bike's handlebar and they were spinning again. Jubal's shout of dismay was lost as the machine went down and pain screamed up her side and burned through her arm.

She was aware of lights coming toward them.

Then nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Mara woke slowly to the awareness of salt water flowing through her gills and something warm and living cradling her gently. She frowned and tried to remember where she was, but then whimpered softly as the motion sent a stab of pain through her head.

"Shh," said a soft voice that seemed to come from all around her. "It's okay, Mara. You're safe."

She opened her eyes and blinked, letting out a groan, then turning her head and looking around slowly as her vision blurred.

"What?" she said softly, then tried to move and let out a cry of pain as her arm seemed to catch fire, making her body go rigid as she squeezed her eyes shut and let out another whimper.

"Shh," said the voice again, and this time she recognized it, and realized what was wrapped around her like a living blanket.

"Nerves?" she said, face furrowed as she held her injured arm to her side, glad she wasn't above water where the tears would show.

"It's Donnie," he said softly, and she felt a soft touch on her face. "Don't cry."

"I know," she said, choking slightly, but her head was pounding too much for her to turn away from the touch. "Where...what happened?"

"You're in the pool at Xavier's school." He gently moved her so that she was in a semi-reclining position. "You and Jubal were in an accident."

"Yeah," she said slowly, looking at the fuzzy memory.

Then her eyes shot open. "Jubal! Is he ok?"

She felt her bed twitch slightly, but received no other reply.

"Nerves?" she said, looking around but not daring to move her head. "Nerves, is Jubal ok?"

"He...he walked away from the accident with just some scratches," said Donnie painfully.

"But?" Mara snapped. "What aren't you telling me? What's wrong with him?"

She could feel Donnie's tension and nearly taste his panic and was gathering her strength to burst out of the water and go find out for herself when she suddenly found herself unable to move.

-Easy, Mara,- said an unfamiliar female voice in her mind. -Don't try to move. You've got some bad bruises and a few cracked ribs.-

"Who the #$&+ is that!" cried Mara, struggling to move. "Let go of me!"

-My name is Jean Summers,- said the voice sternly. -And if you don't hold still I'll have to put you back to sleep.-

"No, don't!" gasped Mara. "Just...just tell me if Jubal's ok. Please?"

-Jubal's in the medical lab, in a coma,- said Jean softly, brushing her mind with a feeling of comfort.

"But...but Nerves said he walked away!" Mara scowled.

-He came through the accident with only a few scratches and bruises,- confirmed Jean softly, projecting a hope that she would drop the subject.

"I want a #$+& answer!" she snarled instead. "What happened?"

Jean gave a mental sigh, a feeling of weary sadness leaking into Mara's mind. -While we were getting you stabilized he went out to the backyard, walked into the pool, and took a deep breath. By the time we realized what he'd done it was nearly too late.-

"He what?" Mara gasped, another tear leaking out. "Why'd the #$&+head do that!"

-He felt responsible,- said Jean softly.

"But he...he...ow!" Mara cringed slightly, her head thudding as her vision blurred again slightly.

-Easy,- said Jean as Donnie brushed against her cheek comfortingly. -Please, Mara, I know it's hard, but you have to relax.-

"Did he really think that would help!" demanded the water girl. "What's wrong with him? Why is he so out of it anyway? He isn't anythin' like Logan talked about!"

-Imagine that your dolphin family had never found you,- said Jean softly. -That you lost your loving birth parents when you were twelve years old, wound up with an abusive foster family, and ran away to live on your own. Now imagine that you were found by a woman who was nearly ready to give up on life, who took you under her wing and told you that you were her lifeline, who loved you and protected you as best she could, but who couldn't always be there for you. Imagine that one day while this woman was away an evil man kidnapped you and tortured you, sifting through your memories till you believed that everyone you loved was dead and letting his men do unspeakable things to you. Imagine that your new mother found you and rescued you, but that you were too ashamed and hurt to ever tell anyone what had happened to you. Now imagine that your mother gets hurt and leaves until she can control the beast inside her, and while she's gone you and your best friends are taken from the school where you should have been safe, nailed to crosses and tortured for days till your tormentors finally plant the crosses on the front lawn of your home. Imagine that you hang there, listening to your friends crying and dying around you till your own heart stops. Imagine being brought back, and trying to go on as though life were still good, when you'd seen more things in your fifteen years than most grown men have seen in a lifetime, even when your mother and two of your teammates are kidnapped. And you know that they'll come back, because they always come back...- Jean's inner voice was tearful. -And you wait, losing a little more hope with every year that passes but telling the girl that you've come to love as a younger sister about the mother she's never seen, till finally the day that your missing teammates manage to escape. But it's too late for your mother. The woman who's been alive since the gold rush, who held you through the nights and kept you safe from the nightmares, and who was your whole world, is nothing but a blackened, melted lump of metal that your teammates put into the ground. And you die inside, because your hope went into the ground with her and the monsters of your past are too strong to fight anymore. What would you be like, Mara?-

"I'd..." she squeezed her eyes closed. Then she glared. "Probably worse than I am now."

-You're tougher, Mara,- said Jean gently.

"Humph," she said bitterly. "Is he gonna wake up?"

-We don't know.- There was the feeling of a sigh. -Do you want to come and see him? It might be painful when your wounds dry out.-

"Don't care," growled Mara. "I've been through worse on my own."

-Is that a yes?- asked Jean gently.

"What do you think?" Mara snapped. "Yeah, that's a yes!"

She felt Donnie tighten around her in a gentle hug, then felt herself rising toward the surface and leaving the warmth of his embrace. Then she broke into the air, her eyes widening as she looked down, then at the red-haired woman who was waiting for her.

"Wait," she grunted. At Jean's nod she let her good hand touch the pool again.

"Thanks, Nerves," she said softly, then felt herself float out of the room, the feeling making her dizzy until she closed her eyes.

The discomfort disappeared suddenly, as did her pain, and she opened her eyes to give Jean a funny look, then caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see Victor Creed pacing along silently beside her.

"Stop lookin' at me," she muttered, scowling at him as he glanced at her, his craggy face set in worry that she uncomfortably realized was for her.

A line appeared between his eyebrows, but he made no other reply. Nor did he stop checking on her.

-He's just worried,- said Jean silently. -But don't tell him I said that.-

"That's obvious," she grunted, then fixed her worst glare on him, growling to herself as he proceeded to ignore her with that intentness known only to cats.

The trip through the halls was quick and relatively painless, except when she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as Creed growled at a greasy-looking Hispanic boy and caused him to yelp and bolt.

Then they entered an elevator and Jean gently shifted her till she was floating upright so that she fit. The ride downward was silent, but then they came out into a gleaming white metal hallway and Mara's eyes widened.

"Shiny place down here," she said, glancing around and then down as Jean shifted her to a slightly reclined position and the PJ bottoms and hospital gown she wore shifted.

"What the... Where the #$& did these come from?" she said, surprised and angry. "Where are my clothes?"

"Shredded all over the highway," rumbled Creed, frowning at her and then glancing away with feigned indifference.

"Would you stop?" Mara said huffily. "Felons aren't supposed to worry about people so much. Back off or I'll press charges!"

Then she paused and turned to Jean. "Whose are these?"

"They're medlab equipment," said the redhead distractedly as she paused in front of a door and cocked her head.

"Great, I'm wearing equipment. Wonderful," huffed Mara. Then she looked up. "Is Jubes in there?"

Jean nodded, then started forward as the door slid aside like something off of 'Star Trek'.

The first thing that Mara saw, once she stopped gawking around at what looked like the inside of a science fiction movie set, was the girl named Stitch. The teenager was sitting in a chair with her head to one side as though she were leaning against someone, and her long black hair was pressed close to her neck as though by an arm around her shoulders.

Before Mara could comment on this Creed had stepped forward. "Runt?"

"Yeah?" said Logan's voice.

The big man's face twitched, but he only growled, "Any change?"

"Nope," said the ghost flatly as Stitch moaned softly and snuggled closer to her.

"Logan!" said Mara, her eyebrows shooting up as she realized it hadn't just been the whiskey she'd drunk the other night. "What...what are you?"

"Logan's dead, kid." The glowing form shimmered faintly into sight. "I'm just an AI programmed t' act like 'er. Name's Ruh."

"Oh... well..." Mara blinked, then scowled. "Well that's cruel."

"Howzat?" rumbled Creed, walking over to look at down at something on the other side of Ruh and Stitch.

"It's one thing for someone to die... Why the $#&+ would you want t' keep something around that keeps them dead and alive at the same time?" hissed Mara, suddenly understanding some of Jubal's previous anger.

"I dunno, kid," said Ruh painfully. "Wasn' my idea t' be."

"Thought ya came down here t' see the kid." Creed directed a pointed stare at Mara.

"Wasn't blaming you," she said to Ruh, still angry as she looked over at Creed and saw that he was standing with one hand on Jubal's chest. She glanced at Jean, her expression darkening further. "Lemme down."

Jean shook her head and Mara found herself floating over to hover beside the big blond mutant, whose expression had gone distant as he looked down at the pale-faced teen on the high-tech hospital bed.

"Lemme down!" she snarled, looking back at the red-haired woman. "I can stand on my own!"

The next thing she knew she was nearly screaming as she hit the floor with a jolt that sent pain through her whole body.

"What the &$#, Jean?" snarled Creed, kneeling next to her and looking back at the older woman with his face creased in a terrifying snarl.

"#$& off!" Mara yelled, hitting him as hard as she could with her good hand while tears popped out of her eyes. She winced and grabbed her cast, wiping away the tears and glaring at Stitch, who had also jumped up in concern.

Creed gave her a warning growl and a glare that made her neck hair prickle, then stuck a hand under her good arm and hauled her to her feet.

She grabbed the edge of the table, trying to find her balance so that he'd let go, but as her head swam she realized it wasn't going to happen. Her left leg was too badly damaged to hold her weight.

"Let go of me," she hissed at him, only to reel and collapse once more when he did.

He caught her, eyes hardening.

"Argh!" she said as her casted arm wrenched again.

"Please, Mara," said Stitch tearfully. "Let Uncle Vic or Auntie Jean help ya. Yer gonna get hurt worse."

Mara winced, knowing she needed the help, but unable to decide which was worse, the total lack of control or the physical contact.

"I don't..." She stopped and gave herself a mental shake, then looked at Jubal, wanting to check his breathing as well but unable to with Creed's hand under her arm. Her throat tightened slightly as she gazed at the pale, still face and the many tubes working to keep her new friend alive.

"Crap," she said, eyes squeezing shut again as her lip curled up into a silent snarl.

She didn't notice when Jean gently took over supporting her and Creed stepped back to give her privacy, nor when Ruh reappeared looking slightly confused and put an arm around Stitch. She only had eyes for the young man in front of her.

She'd seen people drive themselves insane, or commit suicide, but this felt different. That had felt...grim, but she'd always just turned her back on them. But seeing Jubal here... Mara couldn't figure out why she was unable to look away from his face, finally trying to shake it off as a result of her attraction to him.

Then Jean gasped softly from where she stood by the door, and Mara felt a soft wash of sorrow and grieving that wasn't her own.

"What?" she said, wiping a stray tear away before she looked over her shoulder. "What's that?"

"I found him," said the red-haired woman softly, her green eyes glimmering with tears. "I found him."

"Can ya wake 'em up?" Ruh turned, her own face suddenly full of hope.

Jean shook her head and fell back against the wall. "Oh, Jubal, we love you, don't give up."

"Give up?" Mara repeated harshly, then turned and glared at him. "No... That's...that's just..." She stopped, feeling her anger, frustration, and pain bubble up and stop her throat as she grabbed his wrist, then stared at the scars and recoiled her fingers slightly, thinking about what Jean had told her about him earlier.

She looked at her right forearm, at the scars hidden by her tattoos, then looked back at him and gritted her teeth. "Come on, punk boy, wake up."

There was another wash of sadness and self loathing, and she blinked back tears, not taking her eyes off of his wrist as her fingertips grazed his skin like a whisper of emotion. She bit her lip, her shoulders hunching. "We should have stayed... I should have made him stay...we were too buzzed to go anywhere, I knew that." Then she snarled. "What did he think doing that would help?"

"Good luck makin' Jubes do anythin'," said Ruh huskily, sounding close to tears. "I dunno if 'e was thinkin'a helpin' anythin', darlin'. Sometimes a body gets ta hurtin' so bad that they can't think anymore."

"I know how people get," snapped Mara. "I'm just...never mind."

She heard a sudden growl from Creed and darted a glance over her shoulder to see him turn on his heel and stride rapidly from the room.

"What?" said Ruh, frowning.

"Sturmjäger's sickening over the thought that it was her fault that Jubal and Mara are hurt," said Jean softly, her eyes still focused elsewhere. "That word that you had with her earlier hit a mark, though I don't think it was the right one."

"Sickening?" The ghost's shadowed face took on a drawn appearance.

"She's going into shock. You have to remember that she's not a normal mutant. People of fairy blood can die of heartbreak."

"Dangit!" Ruh gave Stitch a last quick hug and vanished.

Mara focused on Jubal, frowning and touching one of his fingers, oblivious to those who remained in the room.

Then a strong, softly-furred arm slipped gently around her shoulders and a rumble like distant thunder rattled through her aching bones.

"Gerroff." She scowled, wiggling and twisting around to come face to face with black fur and leather.

"Roy!" she gasped in surprise, staring up at her new friend.

"Yeah," he rumbled softly, still purring as his golden eyes shimmered down at her. "You look like crap, girl. Should you be up?"

"Roy," said Neko Lynn in soft rebuke from where she stood next to Stitch with one hand on Jubal's chest, her tail curling up and twitching at the tip.

"Sorry." He scuffed his heavy boots and offered Mara a black stuffed cat that was dressed to look like him.

"Ha, I've looked better, it's not a secret. But I'm fine," said Mara, taking the doll and looking it over before she looked up at him again. "What's this?"

"Me." He twitched his ears and turned it so that she could see the band name done in tiny nailheads on the back of its vest. Then he glanced at his wife, who was clad in cutoffs and a crochet halter, and turned to look at Dragon. "Come on and see him."

The reptilian woman stepped forward hesitantly, her wings wrapped around herself as her snake-like neck wove slightly in apprehension.

"Roy, my friend," came Hank's rich voice. "Well would I fain to say well met, where not the instance of our meeting so ill occasioned."

"You know I can't understand &#&+ when you talk like that, man." Roy went over and crushed the blue doctor in an embrace, pounding his back hard enough to break a normal man's ribs.

Hank returned the rough affection, then turned and scooped Dragon gently into his arms and rubbed his face against hers with purring of his own.

"Careful!" she gasped softly. "I've got Joey."

"Aye, I caught scent of him as I entered the room." Hank looked down at the small bulge under her wings with gleaming eyes. "Fully human, what jokes the Maker loves to write."

Then he sobered and turned to look at Mara. "You should be resting, Miss River. Our Jubal would feel twice as ill were he to know that you were taxing yourself so."

"My #$+&," Mara hissed at him. "I'm fine."

"You've two broken ribs, an arm broken in three places below the elbow, a minor concussion, a leg so badly scraped and bruised that you may require physical therapy to use it again, and innumerable internal bruises," he retorted. "If that be your definition of fine then I must needs add mental illness to the list as well."

"Add it to your list if you want," growled Mara, glaring back at the stern golden eyes of the doctor. "Then you can shove it for all I care."

Those eyes flashed with feral anger and he growled low in his throat.

"Easy, man," said Roy. "She's just worried 'bout Jubes."

"If she cared aught for Jubal she would think of her own condition as well," growled Hank, still glaring.

"People, I'm sorry, but I have to go," interrupted Jean gently.

"Ah yes, your teacher's duties call." Hank strode over and gave her a swift peck on the cheek and a nuzzle, then turned his angry gaze back upon Mara.

Mara returned the glare, then whipped her head around to stare fixedly at Jubal's face again, grabbing the edge of his bed to keep from falling down as her head spun.

There was a low growl and Hank suddenly strode over and put an arm around her shoulders. She turned to tell him to shove off, but then froze as something touched her neck with a hiss and ice seemed to spread from the spot.

"What the #$&..." She stopped as she wobbled, feeling her awareness fading toward black. ""You sneaky &$#, wait till I wake..."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mara blinked groggily, wondering how she'd managed to inhale enough second-hand pot smoke to make her feel like this.

Then she remembered what Hank had done, and realized that she was laying in a shallow tank like a coffin. A pale face framed by red hair was looking down at her with concern.

Immediately she let out a yelp and tried to kick upward with one powerful leg, only to find herself once more unable to move.

"Jean!" she snapped, then paused as she realized the effort hadn't caused as much pain as it had before. The only discomfort she felt at all was the grogginess of having slept for what felt like years. Either Jean was numbing her again or she'd been out long enough to do some serious healing.

"Shh," said the telepath softly. "Listen!"

Mara frowned, then blinked as she realized that she was hearing a low train of thought that wasn't her own.

-Way to go, Lee. You trying to make Stitch a freak like you are? Better thank God for saving your sorry &#$&.-

"Who is that?" Mara looked around, but saw only the red-head.

"It's Jubal," said Jean softly, her voice shaking slightly. "He's showing brain activity."

-Now Mara's really going to think you're a loser,- continued the thought train in the background.

"Can you talk to him?" gasped Mara, feeling like someone had given her a hug that she actually enjoyed. "Can you get him to wake up?"

"Charles and I are going to try in a few minutes," said Jean. "But first he wants to talk to you about the accident."

"Charles?" Mara paused, then frowned as she remembered hearing Scott talk to a Charles when only Ruh was around in the hall near Jubes' room. That probably made him a telepath, and her usual wariness of telepaths battled the desire to help them potentially help Jubal. "I'll talk to him, but I don't want him searching my head. If I find out he does I'll leave."

"You are welcome to leave at any time, Mara," said an elegant, gentle voice as Jean's expression dropped into a scowl. Mara saw a hand rest on the red-haired woman's shoulder and moved her eyes to look up into the kindly brown ones of an older man with a close-trimmed blond beard and no hair. "But I can tell you now that the only telepath in this house who might attempt to look inside your mind would be Jabez, and her focus is poor at best."

"I..." Mara looked up at him, then looked away, feeling slightly ashamed for having snapped at the people who were trying to help her friend. And, she admitted, trying to help her as well. They didn't seem to be too bad, and hadn't been hostile with her. Well, maybe Hank had, but as far as she knew he wasn't a telepath. "What did ya wanna ask?"

"Can you tell me exactly what happened on the highway that night?" He turned a smile to Jean as she moved away out of Mara's line of sight, then turned those kindly, slightly sad eyes back to the water girl. "Every detail that you can think of, please."

Mara bit her lip and thought back. "We were goin' home, we'd just hung out with Roy and Neko Lynn at Hell. Then somethin' happened, the bike slid on something and spun like one a' those crazy cup fair rides. Jubal managed to keep us upright though, an' we stopped, but then some crazy huge truck hit the handlebars an we went flying. That's all I can remember."

"You say that Jubal had gotten the motorcycle safely stopped?" Charles' jaw firmed and his eyes got a suspicious glimmer in them.

"I swear," said Mara, praying he believed her. "Then there was a horn an' headlights. That's all I saw."

Charles swallowed, then offered her a shaky smile. "Thank you, Mara. Hank is going to take you back to the indoor pool now. If you're not comfortable with Donnie's presence just let him know. And you may leave the water if you feel up to it. I'm afraid you haven't had much to eat since you arrived, because Hank was afraid to give you anything more than glucose solution without knowing if you had any specific dietary needs."

Mara nodded at the look of relief on his face. Then she scowled.

"Hank?" she repeated sourly.

"Yes, Hank," rumbled the voice of the blue wer-cat from the other side of the tank. "Shall we go, that Charles and Jean may apply themselves to the task at hand?"

Mara winced slightly and gave a small nod, reminding herself that these people only wanted to help Jubal. Then she frowned as she noticed that Hank hadn't seen her reply, his eyes being focused on the bed which held her friend.

"Whatever," she forced out, reaching up and grabbing the side of the tank in preparation to sitting up.

He started slightly and looked down at her with wide eyes, then narrowed them. "Be ye careful. You've been inactive for several days and any sharp movement could pull muscles grown accustomed to stillness."

"Humph. I wonder why," growled Mara as she let him help her out of the water and into the wheelchair he had ready at the tank's side.

She had one quick glimpse of Jubal's face as she was pushed away and through the door, then they were out in that white metal hallway again.

"That's Mara?" asked an accented female voice.

Mara turned, her eyes narrowing as she saw the tall brown woman with long, pointed ears, and eyes and hair of an identical brown a couple shades darker than her skin.

"Indeed it is," said Hank, his deep baritone rumbling with warning. "What do you wish, Sturmjäger?"

"Let me take 'er ta the vater." Sturmjäger's ears went back as the cloak over her shoulders shifted and showed itself to be two massive bat wings of the same brown as her eyes and hair.

"No," said Hank flatly.

Mara looked back at him, scowling slightly at the way he rejected Jubal's friend.

"Why not?" she said. "She looks alright."

"'Cause I'm the vone that bootlegged for Jubes the day ya got hurt," said Sturmjäger flatly, drawing her wings more closely around herself.

"Actually," said Hank. "It's because the last time I let you have free rein with a wheelchair it wound up in the middle of rush-hour freeway traffic."

"That sounds like fun," said Mara, eyeing those wings and remembering the 'bat' she'd seen when she first arrived.

"If your idea of fun is a ten car pile-up and injured children," growled the doctor as Sturmjäger's ears went back further.

"That vasn't me!" she growled back, her sculpted face expressionless but for a slight showing of pointed teeth.

"Perhaps if you told us who is responsible." Hank's voice was a real growl now.

"No. I von't rat them out." The winged woman gave him a look that promised mayhem should the subject be pursued.

Hank sighed. "Please make way. I must get Miss River to the pool that I may return quickly and monitor our Jubal's vitals."

"It wasn't Jubal's fault," said Mara suddenly. "Not the crash, I mean. So it wasn't yours either. Besides, I think the whiskey helped get him out of the house, and he had a good time at the concert. That's not a bad thing."

"Jubal leaves the house regularly without warning," said Hank gruffly. "And then must needs be sought with much trouble and worry on Charles' part, as he refuses to respond when one of his moods is upon him. But you are correct. The crash was the fault of no one at the school. Now please let us pass, Sturmjäger."

The winged woman said something highly insulting about his parentage as he pushed the chair past her.

"I mean it, he had a good time, up until the last bit." Mara scowled. "You ask Neko Lynn if you don't believe me."

"I believe you," he said heavily as he pushed the elevator button. "And I fain would have back the days that he could have fun without near-fatal levels of caffeine in his bloodstream. But enough of this. I'll ask that someone bring you a meal once we've gotten you back to the pool. What fancy you to eat?"

"Fish," Mara said, still in bad temper with him as she leaned on her good arm and glared ahead of her.

"Raw?" he inquired as shortly, pushing her through the opened elevator doors.

"Don't care," she replied sullenly.

She heard him sigh as the elevator doors opened, then blinked as she looked up into the startled almond eyes of a purple-haired Asian woman in an oversized red plaid shirt.

"Blade!" she gasped, recognizing the woman from a TV show that had played in one of her old bar haunts late at night. The face and features were unmistakable, and she suddenly didn't doubt the rumors of the star doing her own stunts at all.

The woman raised one perfect eyebrow and quirked a friendly though half-hearted grin. "The name's Betsy Worthington, luv. I've not been Blade since they cancelled during the first season."

"Oh yeah," said Mara, brow furrowing. "Well, you have a following at Skeet's, unless someone finally shot Jughead."

Betsy chuckled. "I was rather fond of it myself, but the director thought that I needed a more revealing costume. When I told him what he could do with the wretched thing he fired me. I don't know if you ever saw my replacement, but the program ratings went down very quickly after her arrival."

Mara shook her head. "Never saw her."

"Excuse me, Elizabeth," said Hank. "But I must needs bring Miss River to the indoor pool and return post haste to the basement that I may monitor Jubal as Charles and Jean attempt to wake him."

The former actress was suddenly alert, her dark eyes focused and intense. "He's thinking?"

"Yes, he is indeed." Hank's voice was gruff.

Betsy reached out and pulled the wheelchair away from him. "Well don't just stand there, get your hairy rump back down there and get to work!"

"But..." He hesitated.

"Go!" growled Betsy, showing him something pink and dangerous looking that flared from her hand.

"Going." He let the elevator doors slide shut.

Betsy sighed, then lowered herself to a crouching position and rested her forehead on her hand. "Ohh."

"You ok?" said Mara, looking down at her. "You look out of it."

"I'd been going down to ask him for something to take away nausea," said Betsy without looking up. "I'll have you to the pool in a moment, luv. Just let me rest a bit."

"It's ok," said Mara, then looked down at the chair and tested out her pushing capabilities with her good hand, only to gasp as she jerked to one side and wrenched her broken arm.

"Ready to wait now?" Betsy gave her a look of some asperity, then winced and rubbed her stomach.

"I was just checking it out," said Mara, the back of her neck burning as she looked away in frustration.

"Wasn't 'cause you're going slow," she added, glancing back at the inflated stomach and wincing internally.

"What're you doin' up, Bets?" rumbled Creed's voice from behind them.

Mara turned to see him looking down at Betsy in concern, a golden and amber baby who looked much like Sturmjäger cuddled in his arms while a girl of around nine peered shyly at Mara around his leg. She blinked at the paternal image he presented, then looked away, her face dropping into an automatic scowl.

"Bets?" Creed's voice came from lower down. "Y'sick?"

"The twins WOULD jump on the bladder and kick the ribs," said the former actress in a strained voice. "And I'm about to puke."

"I'll take ya down t' Hank."

"No! He's working with Jubal. I'll be alright. I've just got to take Mara to the salt pool." Betsy bit back a groan.

"Jubal's not going to get up and run away while the fuzzy catman gets you some pills," said Mara. "Let the felon bring you down, I can operate this stupid thing."

"Don't call him a felon," said Betsy, lifting her head and regarding the water girl wanly. "There are much more fun and accurate things to call him."

Creed shook his head, then stood and dumped the baby in Mara's lap. "Dandelion, you wanna push the chair? Come 'ere, Bets, I'll set ya in one 'a the lounge chairs in th' pool room."

Betsy gave an aggravated sigh as he gently scooped her up, then turned a sudden grin toward Mara as the water girl let out a squawk of outrage and glared at the child sitting nicely on her knee.

"Get her off, I don't babysit!" she snarled at the disgusted-looking child, then winced as she impulsively jerked both legs and the bruised muscles protested.

"Y' ain't babysittin'," said Creed cheerfully. "She's holdin' ya down so y' can't do nothin' stupid. Come on, Dandelion."

Mara felt herself being propelled down the hallway toward the pool room at a steady pace, but convulsively grabbed the baby in her lap with her good arm at the motion. "&#$!"

"Dabla boo." The little one turned to look up at her with solid amber eyes, then patted her arm and faced forward again.

"Brick oven girl," muttered Mara, swearing again under her breath and keeping her eyes closed firmly. She was heartened, however, when she caught a the fragrance of the warm salt water, and flexed her fingers, anticipating putting the webbing to good use and never getting near a wheelchair again.

They soon reached the room and she was disgruntled to see a mocha-skinned, white-haired woman floating on her back at the far end of the pool with little Jabez laying on her chest.

Creed strode rapidly over to the loungers and gently lay Betsy in one, then came back and hauled the baby out of Mara's lap by one arm and dropped her gently on her butt next to the water. "Y' want me ta drop ya in, or let y' in careful?"

Mara glared at him, then used her good arm to shove herself into the pool, creating one of the worst aquatic entrances she'd ever given, but loving the freedom of the water too much to care. She looked up at the rippling surface as she slowly sank to the bottom, then turned on her belly and used her uninjured limbs to propel herself forward, letting out a content sigh as she moved and stretched.

Doing a lap around the pool she frowned at the pain that shot up her spine when she tried her injured leg, then glanced towards where the woman was floating.

"Nerves?" she called out, looking around for water that moved or felt different.

"Yes?" asked Donnie's soft, warm voice.

Mara let herself smile as she spun in circles, still going forward.

"You have no idea how nice it is to be out of that #$&+ lab," she said, eyes closing blissfully. "How many days was I out?"

"You haven't come to the pool for three," he said, suddenly rippling the water around her as she swam under the white-haired woman.

"Then three it is. Miss me?" She smirked, laughing at the idea anybody would miss her as she swam to her back corner. "Who's the sleeper up there, and does she know she's being used as a raft?"

"Yeah," he said shyly. "I was worried about you. That's Storm, Jabez's step-mom. Yeah, she knows."

Mara's eyes almost flew open at his reply, but then she blew off the comment and stretched out on the pool floor again. "Well that's dandy. A baby should get in the water at a young age. It's gotta be good for ya."

Then she shot backward with a gasp as something was hurled into the pool with a terrific splash.

"Woah!" Donnie stopped her and held her gently. "It's just Goldie. Mr. Creed threw her in the water."

"He chucks his kid in the pool?" Mara's eyes widened as she watched the golden baby doggy paddle downwards towards a colored ring that lay on the pool floor, her tail streaming out behind her. As Mara watched she clamped onto the ring, turned, and started swimming back to the surface.

"She's not really his," said Donnie, still holding her. "But yeah, he does it all the time."

Mara winced as the baby was thrown in again, finding herself enjoying being in his comfortable grip rather than resting on the cement floor of the pool.

"Her parents must love that," she said, still staring.

"Her mom thinks it's great." He thickened around her, providing more support.

"And her dad?" said Mara, relaxing comfortably.

"Well, her dad's sort of dead," said Donnie uncertainly.

"Oh," said Mara, not feeling any desire to start talking about who was dead and who wasn't.

Then curiosity bit her. "Wait, is he an AI too?"

"No. She and her mom are from another reality," said Donnie as Goldie paddled over and looked at Mara, trailing bubbles from her mouth. "And her mom's husband died. But he was that reality's version of Mr. Creed."

"Huh. You people love to keep things complicated around here, huh?" Mara looked back at the babe. "Yeah? And you want? Careful, kid, I don't want the felon coming down here and trying to catch me because you ran outta breath."

Goldie cracked a grin and offered her the coloured ring that she gripped in one frail-looking little hand, then looked up as Creed gently slapped the surface of the water.

"Mr. Creed was glad to see her," said Donnie. "He's calling you."

"So?" said Mara, closing her eyes, then sighing as there was another slap. She looked at the baby, then swam under it and flicked her hair sharply out of the reach of grabby little fingers before swimming up to the center of the pool and poking her head out.

"What now?" she said, feeling crabby as the air touched her again.

Creed looked at her from where he hunkered by the pool, then reached into a bucket and pulled out a small, brightly-coloured fish. "Bets said Hank promised ya raw fish. Dandelion went 'n got a couple sunfish."

Mara didn't reply, but her eyes became bright with excitement as she sped over and snatched the morsel out of his hand, still above water as she moved away gleefully, holding the wriggling creature by the tail.

"Didn't your mom ever tell you it's not polite to handle other people's food?" she said, quickly biting it and feeling it go still before she hurriedly ate every bite, not letting one bit fall into the pool. She longed to let the fish free in the water, but she suspected that would be against the rules. And she knew she was way too slow to catch it by herself right now anyway.

She circled toward Creed to get the next fish, only to shriek and shoot backward as Goldie appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the creature out of Mara's stunned grip and chowing down.

"Hey, that was mine!" she said, scowling and wondering if the little girl would choke on the bones.

Goldie looked at her, then paddled over and tried to stuff the chewed fish into her mouth.

"Get away!" yelped Mara, darting away and making sure to avoid the woman, who was doing a slow backstroke toward the side of the pool.

"Goldie, ya little pig, come 'ere 'n leave Mara alone," growled Creed, reaching toward the baby. "Y' woke Auntie 'Ro up."

Mara caught a glimpse of soft blue eyes that glistened with tears as Storm passed her, then scowled and dove, wincing as her movements started a wash of fire in her ribs.

"#$+&," she muttered, holding her chest and taking deep breaths as she wondered how to get the rest of her meal while avoiding Creed and his indirect child.

"She won't hurt you," said Donnie softly from behind her.

"I know that," snapped Mara, then winced. "I just don't like kids, alright?"

"Why?" He touched her tentatively on the shoulder and she realized that he was in human form.

"I just don't, ok?" she said irritably as she turned from him. She had difficulty lying when she was face to face with people in the water.

He walked around her and looked up at her face, then swam to the surface and got the mangled fish.

"That wasn't really true," he said, looking down at it as he offered it to her.

Mara frowned and took the fish, then finished it off. "Well you know what? I don't really give a crap whether you or anybody else believes me, it's none of your business."

He flinched and turned away, dissolving and spreading out as his shorts settled to the bottom of the pool.

Mara looked up sharply as he disappeared from sight, then lowered her eyes to the floor, still angry but now only with herself.

"It's not you, Nerves," she said at last. "It's...it's just me and my crappy attitude. You're ok."

Focusing on the surface she swam lightly to the air and grabbed the bucket, holding it above the water as she carefully made her way to the other side of the pool and set it down, then grabbed another fish, still treading water with her back turned to all as she ate mechanically.

She felt a soft pressure against her feet and sighed unconsciously.

Finishing the few shiners that were left she grabbed the bucket, and though she hated leaving Donnie's support, turned and brought it back to the other side of the pool before she slipped back under the surface and landed on her bum with her back against the wall.

-Mara,- said a male voice softly in her mind. -Jubal is awake. Would you like to come and see him?-

"Yeah!" she said, her eyes widening as she sat up carefully. "Wait, really? He's ok?"

-He's awake,- repeated the voice gently. -However he is still very weak.-

"But he'll be ok?" said Mara, a slight edge appearing in her voice.

-It's too early yet to tell. But he's asking for you.- There was a projection of hope.

"Alright," said Mara, knowing she had to return to the wheeled contraption in order to see him. She paused under the surface. "Hey, Nerves... Jubes's awake. I'm gonna go visit. You wanna come?"

"No, I'll stay here," said Donnie softly. "Jubal doesn't like me much."

"How does anyone not like you?" Mara scowled.

"I have something he lost." The watery boy's voice was gruff.

"Huh," said Mara, shrugging. "Ok. Whatever, man, I'll see you in a little while." She poked her head out of the water and looked around, then called to Creed.

"Can I get a ride down t' the medbay?"

He looked up from where he crouched next to Betsy's lounger. "Whadya wanna go down there for?"

"A friend of mine just woke up n' according to a little voice in my head wants to see me." Mara scowled. "So may I have a ride?"

"Jubal is in his bedroom," said Betsy, grabbing Creed's hand and pulling herself awkwardly to a sitting position, then leaning her forehead against his arm for a moment before she heaved herself to her feet. "I'm going to see him myself."

"Well I can't walk," said Mara with giddy patience. "So unless Jubes is transported here I can't talk to him. May I have a ride?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't git yer tail inna knot." Creed turned to frown at her, then got up and walked over to the wheelchair. "Agua, y' wanna watch Goldie fer me while I git the girls upstairs?"

"Sure," said Donnie from somewhere behind Mara. "Need a lift, Mara?"

"I don't have a tail," she said haughtily, then nodded and felt him gently boost her up to where Creed caught her and carefully set her in the chair.

"Whoa," she said, blinking as her head swam.

"Y' alright?" rumbled Creed, not turning as Goldie took a header into the pool.

"I'm fine," snapped Mara automatically. "Can we go now?"

He nodded, but then paused and sniffed, giving her a funny look.

"It's a little late to be checking me out, fuzz #$&," she snapped, crossing her good arm over her chest defensively.

His forehead furrowed and he shook his head slowly, his expression going uncertain and confused as he went to the back of the wheelchair and turned it toward the door. "Come on, let's git goin'."

Mara scowled at him, knowing something was wrong. But she still felt dizzy and didn't want to get into an argument at the moment.

"Yeah," she said instead, eager to see Jubal awake again.

The trip up the stairs would have been fun if she were feeling better, especially when Creed stumbled as he was carrying her and the wheelchair and set the chair down on his foot. The word he said made him blush right to the roots of his yellow hair as Betsy spluttered with laughter and leaned against the banister.

But then they were stopping outside Jubal's bedroom door while a slightly scary-looking blue guy leaned against the wall next to it, and Creed was looking down at her and asking if it was okay for Betsy to go in first so that she could go lay down.

"Sure, whatever, I don't care." Mara shrugged, eyeing the stranger and then closing her eyes and leaning on her good arm.

"Thanks, luv," said Betsy softly, then pecked the blue guy on the cheek as she went past him. "Chin up, Kurt."

"My chin is up," he replied in a smooth tenor flavored with a hint of Germany as his handsome face creased into a dashing smile. "Go on, he's waiting for you."

Betsy nodded and went into the room, closing the door softly behind her.

"Elf, this' Mara," rumbled Creed, pulling a twig off a wreath that hung on the door across from Jubal's and sticking it in his mouth. "Mara, this ugly blue thing's Kurt Wagner, Jubes 'n Stitch's old man."

"Guardian," said Kurt softly, his smile fading as his long, spade-tipped tail twisted itself in knots behind him. "Only their guardian. Hello, Mara."

"Yeah," she grunted, not interested in him at all. "Sure."

"'E was the runt's best friend," rumbled Creed as though to himself, then took a step back and leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the hall from Kurt.

"Huh," said Mara, choosing to ignore him and glancing around. "Hey, can I see Jubal now?"

Creed growled, the sound thick with anger and warning.

Mara scowled at the him, then gasped and choked as Kurt suddenly disappeared in a cloud of sulphur-smelling smoke.

"I was just asking," she snapped, coughing slightly. "I wasn't tryin' to push anyone around."

Creed gave a wordless rumble, then sneezed repeatedly as Kurt reappeared.

"Oi." Mara winced, her vision and consciousness fading for a moment before she shook herself mentally and reopened her eyes, feeling queasy. "Man, what's that smoke a' yours anyway?"

"Brimstone," said the blue man absently, turning as Betsy came out and gently gathering her into his arms. "Come, lieb, I'll help you to your room."

"Sounds good," said the purple-haired woman, blinking wearily. Then she turned to Mara and gave a wan smile. "He's anxious to see you."

"That has to be good," said Mara, shaking her head carefully to clear it.

"Is something wrong?" Betsy frowned at her in concern, then glanced at Creed as he walked around the wheelchair to scowl down at her thoughtfully.

"Get away," said Mara haughtily. "I'm fine."

"No y' ain't," rumbled Creed, giving her that strange look again.

Then he shook himself and glanced at Betsy. "Go on t' bed, Bets. Y' don't wanna git sick again."

The purple-haired woman quirked an eyebrow at him, but then nodded and turned away. "See you later, Mara."

"Yeah, well lets get you run over by a truck n' see how good you feel," snapped Mara. Then she blinked. "Bye."

"Not as bad as bein' landed on by a jet," said Creed, pushing her through the door and up to Jubal's bed. "Or bein' run down by a tank. That hurt like a $#&."

"You healed." Jubal turned his head slowly from where he'd been watching Stitch sleep next to him on the bed, then gave a quirk of a guarded grin. "Hey, Mara."

"Hey, punk boy," she replied, looking at the girl snuggled against him, the small gray kitten at his feet, and a space at the corner of the bed that looked like someone was sitting there, though she couldn't see anyone yet. She suddenly felt odd, having nothing to say that wouldn't get her growled at by Creed or end up making Jubal feel even worse. She wanted him to feel better.

"How ya feelin'?" he asked softly, his eyes searching her face.

"As well as I ever do," said Mara, shrugging her good shoulder and feeling unhappy with how pale he was and how he didn't seem to have the strength to lift his head. "How're you?"

"Alive." He smirked, though his eyes were full of shame and anger. Stitch whimpered and he turned his head back to look at her, then glanced toward the stereo.

"What song is this?" asked Mara, clearing her throat.

"'Beauty from Pain', by Superchick." He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, a flash of pain going across his face.

"You won't try that again?" she demanded before she could stop herself.

He winced as though she'd slapped him in the face and closed his eyes again, then scowled and moved his foot as the blanket pressed around it. "I don't know."

Mara looked at the tears leaking out from under his closed eyes and scowled, biting her lip.

"Figure it out," she said softly. "Going on like this is hurting everyone, including yourself."

He started as Stitch lifted her head and lay it against his chest, then put his arm around her as he struggled weakly for control.

"Think I don't know that?" he managed at last, his breathing going uneven as he opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. "You think I'd still be around if I didn't know that?"

"Then you need to make a choice," said Mara, not looking away from his empty eyes. "They need to know if you're gonna stick around or not. I think you do too, before you do somethin' you can't undo no matter how much you regret it."

His breathing grew more labored as the smirk returned to his face. "Don't worry, darlin'. Y' ain't gonna get rid 'a me that easy."

"Well it looked like it," snapped Mara, finally looking away as her heart sank, longing for the happier boy she'd glimpsed almost a week ago. "Go to sleep, you're exhausted."

"Tell 'im y' ain't mad at 'im," rumbled Creed from behind her, so softly that she nearly didn't hear it.

"You got the bike stopped safe, it was that numb-brain trucker's fault we cracked up," she said, bristling inside at the advice, but desperate to try anything that would make him feel better. "I'm not mad at you. Just cut this out."

Then she gripped the arm of her wheelchair as the room took a slow, sickening turn and her vision went grey around the edges. "Urgh..."

"Mara?" Jubal snapped to attention as she swayed and nearly fell out of the chair. "What's wrong?"

A strong hand caught her good shoulder and pulled her back upright as Ruh flashed into sight on the foot of Jubal's bed.

"I...I'm fine," she gasped, knowing full well that Creed was the only thing keeping her from falling out of the chair. "Just a little light headed... That's all. Let go...ooh, I think I'm gonna be sick!"

"Jeany!" barked Creed, lifting her out of the chair and crouching as he cradled her in his arms.

Mara whimpered, too sick to care what was happening, though she was intensely aware of Jubal's hand holding hers and his voice murmuring softly.

Then the dizziness and nausea faded and she blinked at the glow stars on the ceiling, too drained to even try to sit up.

"Mara?" rumbled Creed.

"Where am I?" she moaned, struggling against the feeling of safety she got from being held and trying to convince herself that it was the worst thing in the world.

"In Jubes' room," said the big blond man gently, his face grim with some conviction. "How ya feelin'?"

"Sick." Mara groaned. "What happened?"

"Y' want me t' take ya t' Hank?" he asked softly instead of replying.

"No, I don't wanna go t' Hank. I wanna know what's goin' on!" she said, her temper prompting her to make a weak attempt at pushing him away, which failed miserably. As her strength waned again she caught snatches of what Jubal was saying and realized he was praying.

"Let go'a 'er, kid," said Creed gently, shifting as though to get up.

Jubal's eyes flicked up toward him with a frown of concern. "Sure, Sabie. Take 'er ta the medlab. I don't think she's thinkin' straight."

"Yeah." The big mutant stood and carried Mara out of the room, then glanced over his shoulder. "Y' wanna git the door, runt?"

He waited till it clicked shut, then walked a little ways down the hall and looked down at her. "I think yer baby's in trouble."

"My what?" Mara snapped, trying to calm herself down, uncomfortable not only with her weakness and dizziness, but also upset at being cradled like a child. "What the $#+& are you talkin' about?"

She saw his craggy face crease in confusion, then fold into a wince. "Yer pregnant. Smells like ya have ben fer awhile."

"What?" repeated Mara, staring up at him for a moment. Then she growled. "Think yer funny, do ya? Well guess what, there is no chance in $#&+ I'm carrying anything. I know that for a fact, and making up something like that will only get your jugular removed. It sure ain't gonna make me wanna go down to see the blue fuzzball."

Then she gasped and gripped his sleeve in a deathgrip as he lay her gently on the floor. She felt him gently pressing on her stomach, then felt something wriggle inside her and give his fingers a sharp rap.

"Well, there's somethin' there," he said, sitting back on his heels and frowning thoughtfully.

Mara gasped, breathing heavily as her senses reeled.

"No," she snapped. "It's impossible. What the +#$& is in me? Get it out!"

Creed's frown intensified as he rested his free hand on his knee. "Still don' wanna see McCoy?"

"Can he get whatever's in there out?" asked Mara, her eyes wide in terror.

"If he needs ta, yeah."

"Take me to him," she gasped, her breathing coming with difficulty. "Take me, now!"

She felt him slip a hand gently under her head, then pause.

"Yer gonna need ta let go 'a that arm," he rumbled gruffly.

Her eyes darted towards her hand and she snatched it away with a gasp, then felt him pick her up and move swiftly down the halls as her vision swam out of focus and forced her to again close her eyes. She was distantly aware of the whir of the elevator, then gasped again and stifled a whimper as Creed bellowed at the top of his not inconsiderable lungs for Hank to get his hairy butt into the medlab.

Then she was laying on the bed that had till recently held Jubal, Creed's hand on her shoulder.

She shivered, trying to keep calm even as she started to shake, dimly aware that at least this man wanted to help her. He seemed to be worried about her and even a little scared. But then she thought of that strange movement inside her and forgot everything else as her heart began to race with panic.

"What ails thee, Victor?" came Hank's deep baritone. "My stars and garters! Here, put this on her quickly."

Mara felt an oxygen mask gently strapped over her face and closed her eyes, unconsciously gripping Creed's hand again.

"There's somethin' inside 'er," rumbled the big blond mutant, his voice hard-edged with concern. "Smells like a normal pregnancy, but she swears she's never done the deed."

"My stars and garters," said Hank again, his voice soft with relief. "Mara, breath deeply. There is naught inside you save another human life." There was the whirr of a machine and something pressed gently against her stomach.

"What're ya talkin' 'bout, Beast?" growled Creed.

"This morning Roy called to tell me of another woman who found herself inexplicably with child," said Hank. "It seems that a young reality-warper lost control of his abilities while celebrating at Hell."

"GET IT OUT!" screeched Mara at the top of her lungs, her good leg kicking in blind panic. "GET IT OUT NOW!"

Once more she felt herself frozen into place, her sense swimming as pain jolted through her broken arm.

"Mara, the pregnancy is at the equivalent of a normal five month's gestation. Abortion is possible at this point, but it is fraught with dangers. Are you sure you wish to pursue that course?" asked Hank.

"Whose kid is it?" asked Creed, sounding absent.

"I'm sure that's of no concern at the moment."

"Whose kid is it, Beast?" growled Creed.

"And it's none of your business anyway, Victor," finished Hank.

There was a snarl and a jolt, and Mara felt the instrument snatched away from her stomach as Hank cursed. She felt a body leap over her, then cringed as what sounded like World War Three broke out right there in the medlab.


	4. Chapter 4

Mara lay on the table, oblivious to the fighting that shook the medlab around her as she trembled and wept in terror. The thought of a baby being inside of her scared her to death, and she moaned as she remembered the movement. Images of her past, mainly those of two little girls and the attack on her own family, rose up before her eyes and drove her to deeper levels of fear.

"Get it out," she whimpered. "Get it out, get it out..."

-It's Jubal's.- Jean's inner voice was full of shock.

Mara's body jerked, and she continued to cry.

"W-what?" she said. "But no...we never! No, no, no! Get it out, please!"

-No, you didn't,- said Jean softly, projecting comfort. -Do you remember seeing a young man with glowing green eyes while you were at the club?-

"I...I," Mara babbled, still panicked but feeling the terror slowly being pushed back. "No...I mean, yeah, he was there, but I didn't do anything with him either!"

-No. He's a reality warper. That means that he can make things happen that wouldn't normally.- Jean's projection of comfort and calm grew stronger as dead silence suddenly replaced the snarling mayhem in the medlab.

"Then he can take it back!" whimpered Mara. "He can make it go away. Do you know where he is?"

-No, he can't,- said Jean gently. -Mara, do you understand that this is your son? And Jubal's?-

"I don't want a son!" yelled Mara. "I don't want a baby! I don't want one, I want it out!"

-You realize that he'll die if we take him out?-

"I don't want one," Mara shook her head, dissolving again. "I don't...I don't..."

She trailed off into a miserable silence, suddenly remembering Jubal laying on the very bed she was now trapped upon. She remembered his ghastly face, the scars on his wrists, the shallow breathing. Then she remembered the depressed young man lying on his bed with 'Heaven's Dead' ready to blow the speakers apart and the young, joyful teenager who'd been with her at the concert. She remembered the vision of what he could one day be flashing across his face for her to wonder at and wish for.

"Tell him," she whispered, voice catching in her throat as she stared at the ceiling. "Tell him... I'll do what he wants. Whatever...whatever it is. I'll do it... Tell him."

-Tell who, Mara?- asked Jean.

"Him..." said Mara in a broken whisper. "Jubes."

There was the whisper of the sliding doors and she suddenly found herself free to move as Jean came to stand beside her garbed in a strange yellow and blue leotard and headpiece.

Mara glanced at the outfit, but didn't remark, instead returning her gaze to the ceiling and curling up as best she could.

"Please tell him," she murmured, blinking tears. "Please, please tell him to tell me what to do, please."

"He's sleeping," said Jean gently. "But I know that he doesn't believe in killing. Anything other than insects and computor game sprites."

Mara burst into tears again when she heard Jean's words, hugging herself tighter and starting to shake with fear again.

"What's this 'bout killin'?" asked Ruh's husky voice as the glowing woman flashed into sight.

"Mara, may I tell Ruh?" asked the red-haired woman softly, laying a hand on her arm.

"Don't care," Mara gasped between gut-wrenching sobs as she rocked herself slightly. "I don't care, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care..." she was cut off as the telepath projected more comfort, but continued to shudder and cry.

"A reality-warper lost control of his gift at Hell the other night," said Jean. "Five people wound up with green hair. Two women became pregnant."

The AI growled and muttered several non-curses under her breath. "How far along is she?"

"He's about the size of a five month's gestation baby," said Jean, rubbing Mara's back and blocking the horrific images of two little blond girls and exploding cars from her mind. "And Jubal is his father."

Ruh gasped. "Jubes? Jubes an old man?" She trailed off with a string of words in another language, then growled again. "Go get 'im, Jeany. He needs t' know."

Mara blinked and stared at Hank, who was laying sprawled on the floor on his back a few feet away from her bed, and numbly wondered if he and Creed had killed each other; then her mind went fuzzy and unfocused as her good hand absently touched her belly. She felt Jean's hand tighten gently on her arm, then felt a thread of wordless, joyful thoughts zip through her mind and knew that the red-head was showing her something.

"What's that?" she asked dully, quirking one eyebrow as Creed groaned and stirred slightly.

"The baby's reaction to your hand." Jean took her own hand away from the water girl's arm. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Mara nodded, then gulped and snatched her hand away, continuing to shiver as she covered her eyes and tried to contain her whimpers.

"It ain't that bad, kid," said Ruh, her voice trembling slightly. "Y' kin give 'im up after he's out if y' don't want 'im."

"I'll do what Jubal wants," Mara said quietly, lip quivering as she attempted to remake herself into her usual hard, uncaring self.

"At least y' kin choose." Ruh walked over and kicked Creed in the ribs, then sat on him with a sigh. "Y' sure took yer time gettin' here."

Mara shook her head, but didn't move otherwise as she slowly calmed, her mind going blank as she listened to the men snoring in front of her.

"Juggernaut's here now," commented Ruh after a few moments. "Joined the team a few days after you 'n me beat the snot outta 'im."

"I didn't know you people played football," said Mara absently. "Must have a hard time finding other teams to play."

Ruh snorted. "It ain't that kinda team, kid." Then she sighed and ran a hand over her buzzed hair, her face sharpening in its focus so that Mara could plainly see the painful thinness of her features. "I would 'a gave anythin' t' be able t' carry a baby 'n have it live."

"It's not fair," Mara choked as tears threatened her again. "I don't want him. Why couldn't the stupid kid just leave me alone? All I want is to be in the water, not with a baby!"

"I would 'a gave anythin' t' be a mother," said Ruh again, her eyes gazing into the past. "But the metal on my bones killed 'em. 'N then 'Ro carried Jabez, but I'm dead, so she's 'Ro 'n Nate's. Maybe it's just as well. Jubes was all the kid God ever gave me, 'n look how bad I screwed him up."

"He's alright. It was your death that really screwed him up," said Mara bitterly. "I like him. I didn't want this...but I like him, and he tries. Well, sometimes. But I saw it, in his face. I saw what he is, and that's why he has to decide what happens with the kid."

"I just hope this don't knock 'im fer another loop." Ruh sighed. "He's scared 'a that kinda thing. One 'a the girls decided t' take a shine t' 'im a few years ago, 'n 'e bolted. Left the school completely. I had ta go 'n find 'im 'n drag 'im back. 'E's fine so long as it's just 'is friends, but the first sign 'a anythin' more 'n..." She shook her head, thin face grim. "'E's ben hurt bad."

Mara understood the unspoken warning and scowled at her. "Do you think I wanted this? Do you think this was my idea? I'm sorry if it hurts him, but if it does he can just say to end it, that would help me."

"'N that's what would hurt 'im the worst," said Ruh. "I'm sorry too, kid. If I could leave the school I'd go find that brainless Morlock 'n ..." She winked out of sight as the medlab doors slid open again.

Mara watched as another bed rose out of the floor, then blinked as Juggernaut gently lay Jubal on it and walked away. She shook from head to toe, but forced herself to calm down as she slowly lifted her eyes to his face, only making it to his mouth before she lost her nerve.

"Mara?" He propped himself shakily on one elbow and looked at her in concern. "Did Hank find out what's wrong?"

-She didn't tell him.- Mara almost wet herself. -She didn't tell him, what do I say?-

"I...I'm fine," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm fine. Hank... He found something else."

Jubal's forehead furrowed. Then he tried to push himself up, only to fall back and grab his head with a curse.

"Don't, you'll hurt yourself," whimpered Mara. "Jubal...remember when we were in Hell, and there was a guy with glowing eyes next to us in the pit?"

"Yeah," he gasped, burying his face in his arms. "You yelled somethin' at 'im. &#$, my head..."

Mara blinked at the curse, remembering the embarrassment Creed had shown on the stairs, then smirked for a second before it fell away again.

"He was a Morlock with the power t' change reality or somethin'," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "He...he lost control at the concert, and he changed people. He made me pregnant, with your kid."

She saw Jubal freeze and sucked in her breath, bracing herself for an explosion.

He was still for a moment. Then he once more struggled to push himself up and succeeded, but then hit the floor with an alarming thud as he slid off his bed.

"Jubal!" gasped Mara, then looked around, trembling. "Jean, help!"

There was no reply except for a groan from the floor as Jubal rolled over and once more struggled to get up. Jaw clenched, he took a deep breath and sat for a moment, then got his knees under himself with a Herculean effort.

"Stop!" Mara begged. "Please... Come on, Jubal, you're going to kill yourself!"

He looked up at her, blue eyes dark with determination, then struggled to his feet and managed to walk the four steps between their beds before stumbling.

Mara's good arm shot out and she grunted as she caught him, keeping her place on her own bed by hooking her good leg over the edge as she pulled him the rest of the way and supported him. Then she gritted her teeth and waited for him to unleash his anger.

Instead she felt him gently shoving her over and slumping down beside her.

"Don't...don't cry," he gasped, one hand groping for her arm. "I'll...help you...take care of it." Then he groaned and scrunched his face up, his whole body trembling with weakness.

"You have to promise to stay around," said Mara shakily, stunned that he wasn't angry with her. She reached up and took his hand. "You gotta promise, then you gotta rest. But don't leave me alone with it. Please, please don't!"

He nodded, then winced as his breath caught and he started to cough.

"Jean," Mara moaned, her grip tightening ever so slightly as tears ran down her cheeks again. "Someone, help him!"

Her pleas went unanswered and she trembled and turned her head, then gasped as Jubal's coughing jarred her broken arm.

"Oh." She bit back her groan, then remembered the oxygen mask that still hung around her neck. Letting go of his hand for a moment she tugged it off, then pressed it over his face.

"Breath," she said, still gasping from the pain in her arm.

He gasped and lifted one knee as he coughed again, then groaned and squeezed her hand apologetically.

"Just breath," she replied, trying to move over to give him a little more room. "Try."

He took a deep breath, then another, and she felt him relax. Then he sighed and she realized that he was asleep.

She didn't know what to do for a moment, then felt her own exhaustion creep up as she pulled his arm around her, hoping that he wouldn't be frightened by it if he woke first.

She sighed at the feeling of safety. Then her eyelids fluttered and drooped as she too succumbed to sleep.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She snapped awake with a start as someone cried out in pain and lifted her head from Jubal's chest to see that Hank and Creed were gone from the floor. Instead the medlab was now full of beds. As she watched in surprise the huge green boy that she'd seen when she first came lay a bloodied, battered Creed on the bed next to hers, then winced and leaned against it, his face creased in sadness.

The agonized cry was repeated, and Mara recognized Betsy's voice.

"He's not gonna be happy when he wakes up 'n finds Sturmjäger's gone," said Ruh hoarsely from somewhere behind her.

"No," said the green boy, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Sammy's not gonna be happy about Mr. Marko, either."

"What's goin' on?" demanded Mara, scowling slightly, then set lay her head back down as dizziness hit her.

An unseen hand smoothed her back.

"The Brotherhood attacked," said Ruh gruffly. "How ya feelin'?"

"I'm fine." Mara sniffed, shaking her head and recoiling from the hand. "What's the Brotherhood? What'd they attack you for?"

"The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants," said Charles wearily from behind her as Betsy's cries became full-blooded screams. "They attacked us because they wished to destroy us."

"Yeah, what he said." Ruh sighed.

"Why the #$+& do they want to destroy a school for mutants like them?" said Mara, glaring fixedly past Jubal's chin. "What's the point?"

"They do not care about the school," said Charles as Betsy's cries became muted. "They wish to destroy the X-Men."

"The X-Men?" repeated Mara, scoffing. "Why the..." She stopped as she remembered the odd-looking suit Jean had come to the medlab in, then tried to remember the few reports she'd seen about the super-heroes back in the bars and started mentally matching names to faces she'd met at the mansion.

"Wait...you're not saying you're the X-Men?" Her mouth fell open.

Yes, we are the X-Men." Charles sighed, and she turned to look at him only to see him crumple against Ruh.

The glowing AI growled and looked around, then hefted him into her arms and carried him to the last empty bed, making a wide detour around Cable on her way back.

"I'll be there shortly," called Hank, his voice choked and painful.

"What happened?" Mara looked around. "I mean, why's Betsy freaking out? No one died, did they?"

"Marilyn's dead," said Ruh heavily. "Cain 'n TJ 'n Brownie're gone... But Bets is carryin' on because the twins're comin' early."

"She's havin' the babies?" Mara repeated, horrified as she recalled the screams. She couldn't help second-guessing the agreement with Jubal to bear their own child. The thought of the amount of pain Betsy had obviously been in scared her spitless. "That was havin' a baby!"

"That's havin' a baby after some #$+&! roughs ya up 'n nearly kills ya," growled Ruh, loosing ghostly claws and then winking out of sight.

"Mara?" came Donnie's voice, and she heard bare feet approaching her bed. "Are you guys okay?"

"D... Nerves." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I'm fine. Jubal's passed out. You ok?"

"I will be after I go back in the water." He put a hand on her back and she felt it shake. "Goldie's mom's gone..."

"You should go back to the pool then," she muttered, pretending like she hadn't heard the reports of death. She turned and looked toward Cable again and saw that he was holding Jabez and Goldie in one arm and a fish-like boy in the other as he stood protectively next to Storm's bed. Then she glanced at Donnie and winced as she saw the bloody bruises that wrapped around his torso and right shoulder "What happened to ya?"

"Black Tom grabbed me." He winced and put a hand over the worst bruise on his shoulder, as though he were trying to hide it from her.

"They're girls!" called Jean from somewhere in the direction Mara's head was pointed, her voice breaking with joy and relief. "They've got wings!"

Mara shuddered internally, then glared at Donnie.

"You should go take care of those, they look nasty. What'd the $#&+head do to you?" she said. Then she tried to see Jean. "N' how's was-pregnant?"

"Dr. McCoy 'n Mrs. Summers might need my help," said Donnie, turning to look too. "Mrs. Summers looks pretty happy, so Mrs. Worthington must be okay." He looked toward the green boy then and frowned. "Will, are you okay?"

"I think I need to sit down," said Will, lowering himself to the floor. "My head hurts."

"You'll be okay in a few minutes," said Donnie encouragingly.

"I know, but right now it feels like his tentacle's still jammed through my ear and wiggling in my brain," groaned Will, lowering his head to his hands.

"Cubs," said Creed suddenly. "Cubs...alright?"

"Dan got bashed up against the house pretty hard," said Donnie. "Dr. McCoy's working on him. Roach slipped out of Black Tom's grip and bounced off the mammoth guy, but he's alright. Munkee's got a broken arm, Chris is okay except for bruises, and Baton Rouge is just a little banged up, but we had to put her in a cell because she was setting everything on fire."

Creed nodded weakly without opening his eyes. "Bunyip?"

"He bit Black Tom and got thrown into the trees," said Donnie.

"'E's alright, then." The big blond man seemed to doze for a few minutes, then creased his face up and growled. "What about Cain 'n TJ?"

Donnie winced. "They got sucked into the portal with the Brotherhood." He bit his lip. "So did Sturmjäger."

Mara saw Creed's face go blank with shock for a moment, then crease in sorrow. "Goldie?"

"The babies are all safe," said Donnie, wiping his eyes on the back of one hand and smearing blood across his face.

"Thank God," rumbled Creed, then fell silent but for the rasp of his breathing.

"Go to the freakin' pool, Nerves, you'll bleed out," muttered Mara, grimacing at the report and feeling her throat tighten even though she didn't know many of the mentioned lost.

"I'm only bruised," said Donnie absently, turning his head to look beyond Storm's bed. "Mr. Wagner just woke up...I think he's gonna be okay. But Mr. Drake's still down." He winced as a 'bamf' sound was followed by a faint wisp of brimstone and Mara started to gag. "He's going to look for Stitch."

"Crap, not Stitch!" gasped Mara, her hand tightening around Jubal's unconsciously as she tried not to throw up.

Donnie put a hand on her back and she scowled as she felt that the shaking she'd noticed earlier was worse.

"#$+&, man, you're gonna fall over!" she snapped, turning to look at him. "You need t' help yourself too!"

"This is just reaction." He looked at her thoughtfully, then started again as the bamf sound was repeated.

"She's feral!" gasped Kurt as Will and Donnie hurried to help him with the snarling, struggling teen in his arms. "I have to go back for Scott, she attacked him."

"Reaction me..." Mara was cut off as she stared at the fire-eyed Stitch, who reminded her uncannily of Logan when she'd lost it in the battle with Cain. The only difference was that the girl was without the wild hair that had characterized the older woman. As she watched Will grabbed the small teen and held her gently but firmly to his chest as she tried her best to bite him.

"Easy," he rumbled as Kurt vanished again with another blast of brimstone. "Come on, Stitch, calm down."

Mara blinked as he lay his cheek against the girl's head and kept up the gentle rumble of words, then her mouth twitched at one corner. She watched as Jean walked to Storm's bed and leaned over the woman, then turned and put her arms around a brown-haired boy who got up from the floor to lay his head on her shoulder.

"She's going to be okay," the red head said softly, looking up at Cable, who still held the three children in his arms.

"I know, Mom," rumbled the white-haired man gruffly. "She's just tired."

"Here, give me Goldie and take her to bed." Jean let go of the boy and took the baby, then watched as the boy held out his arms for the little fish kid.

"I'll take him, Nate," he said gruffly.

Cable handed over the children in question, then turned to look at Storm as she rose from the bed and floated out of the room ahead of him.

Will sighed, then smiled uncertainly down at Stitch. "Are you back?"

"Yeah," she said softly, her arms going around his chest. "Where's Jubes? I wanna see him."

The huge green boy turned obediently and carried her toward Mara and Jubal's bed.

Mara grimaced slightly and closed her eyes as they approached, wishing she was sleeping as soundly as the boy who was holding her.

-Mara, do you want to go to the pool?- asked Jean softly.

"Is that a question or an order?" said the water girl softly, shrinking inside of herself.

-A question,- said the telepath. -It's pretty loud in here right now.-

"No," Mara said shortly. Then she shook her head and growled at herself. "Yeah...no. I...sure.

-Would you be willing to be carried by someone else? I'm afraid I can't leave.- Jean rubbed Goldie's back as the baby suddenly let out an angry wail.

"Who?" Mara's eyes flashed.

The red head pointed to the teenager beside her. -This is my son Christopher. He can carry you the same way I do.-

"Fine," said Mara huffily, then carefully moved Jubal's hand off of her, still longing to stay with him but trying to convince herself that she couldn't be comforted by him or anybody else. That was the way to avoid the complications of relationships, that was the way to avoid dependency.

Then she flinched as he gave a startled, breathless cry, one hand searching for her as the other went to his chest as the coughing started again.

"Dangit!" said Stitch, letting go of Will and jumping down to put her arms around him. "Shh, Jubes, I'm here. Stitchie's here."

"Mara!" he gasped, blinking feverishly.

"Jean, he's rattling." The black-haired girl looked up tearfully.

"Mara..." Jubal's face screwed up in pain.

"Hey, hey, I'm here too," said Mara, shivering as she grabbed his hand again. "I'm here, stop freaking out!"

Jean strode over rapidly and gently shoved Stitch aside, her face going grim as she lay a hand on the coughing teen's chest. Jubal stilled, though his face was still twisted into a grimace. "Hank was afraid of this. I should have realized he wouldn't stay still."

"What's amiss?" Hank came to stand beside her, pulling off a bloodstained scrub shirt and throwing it aside.

"Jubal overtired himself. It sounds like pneumonia," said Jean, moving out of the blue doctor's way.

"What I would not give for a pint of our good Warren's blood," sighed Hank, pulling his stethoscope from around his neck and gently pushing up Jubal's pajama top to listen to his chest.

Mara frowned as she saw how thin her friend was under his clothes and the scars that marked the skin of his chest, then quickly looked away and squeezed his hand as his grip tightened ever so slightly as well.

Hank growled, then murmured softly as the sound caused Jubal to flinch and start coughing again. "Jean, can you make him let go of Miss River? I must needs set the life-sign monitors and other equipment up over the bed, and there's naught room for but one in it."

"Yes," said Jean softly, glancing at Mara for permission.

"Whatever," she said, releasing Jubal's hand and biting the inside of her cheek as she rolled her eyes and huffed slightly. "I wanted to go to the pool anyway."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Stitch's expression was heartbreaking.

"I hope so," said Hank gruffly. "Could you please wait outside? I'm afraid that there are far too many people in this room at the moment."

"Yeah." Stitch accepted the hug that he gave her, then turned to Mara. "Me 'n Will kin take ya ta the pool."

Mara glanced at the pleading in the girl's eyes, then turned her eyes to the ceiling and grunted again. "Whatever."

She heard the green boy walk around the table, then grimaced as he gently scooped her into his arms and turned to carry her toward the door. It was as if she'd been incased by warm, smooth rock that had no give, but no roughness either. It was an odd feeling, but she could tell by the way that Will held her that she was free to get away whenever she wanted to. She knew she'd fall on her butt if she tried it, but knowing that the option was there was comforting.

"Sheesh, what are you? A rock boy?" she scowled, attempting to drive away that feeling of comfort.

Will looked down at her as the doors swished open in front of him and they left the minor confusion of the medlab. "I'm Young Hulk. William Banner."

"You don't go all insane like your old man, do you?" she said, slightly surprised. He looked and acted far too gentle to be anything related to the snarling 'monster' she'd once seen tearing up a helicopter and watched countless times on different pub's televisions.

"Dad hasn't lost it in years," he said mildly, his soft green eyes shying away from hers. "But I've got anger management issues. That's why I'm here."

"Don't worry," Stitch chipped in. "He only gets mad at bad guys."

"Oh, well that's great," said Mara , her scowl softening slightly into surprise and confusion.

The elevator chimed softly and Will carried her inside, then turned to face the front. "The house is in pretty bad shape, and I think that part of the pool room got caved in. But there shouldn't be too much stuff in the water. If there is do you want me to find a bathtub?"

"You worry too freakin' much, darlin'," growled Stitch from somewhere down under Mara's feet.

Will's face took on the expression of a kicked puppy. "Sorry."

"Hey." The girl's face suddenly appeared over his shoulder and she put her arms around his neck. "Everythin's gonna be alright, bub. Don't cry."

"I'm not," he said huskily, staring straight ahead as he walked out of the elevator.

"The pool's fine as long as it's got water," said Mara, turning her face away from him. She didn't want to see anybody cry right now, let alone Young Hulk. "I live in the ocean, which is not the cleanest place in the world."

"Yeah, but wood and glass splinters could cut up your gills," he said, his voice still rough.

Mara frowned as she saw just how damaged the mansion was. It looked as though the place had been torpedoed, with open sky showing through massive rents in the walls and ceilings.

"Hate to tell you, so can sharks. And they're worse. They follow you around." She shook her head at the wreckage. It wasn't anything to do with her.

"I'm not gonna put you in if the water's too bad," he said firmly. "There are other places with good water."

"Hey!" said a voice with a heavy Spanish accent. "Howcome you got the new girl?"

"Back off, Roach!" Stitch gave a blood-curdling snarl.

"Or what, chica? You gonna bite me?" The voice carried a smirk. "Or you gonna get lover-boy to squash me, hmm?"

Mara looked over to see the yellow-skinned boy that Creed had snarled at before. She glanced at the plain uniform he wore and glared.

"#&+$ off," she growled. "I'm not in the mood to put up with a slimy #&+$ like you."

He attempted what was obviously supposed to be a sexy smirk. "How you gonna know till you... AIIIIII!"

Mara blinked as Stitch took a flying leap off Will's shoulders and hit the guy head-on, then winced at his terrified yells.

"Woah!" Will grabbed the fifteen year old by the back of her brown and tan uniform and held her away from himself by one arm as she snarled at her erstwhile prey. "Roach, run!"

"I'm gone!" The guy scrambled to his feet and bolted.

"Crap," said Mara, staring at Stitch, who was showing no signs of sickness whatsoever from biting her toxic schoolmate. "Never mind you, Green Rock, I don't wanna get on her bad side!"

The tiny teen froze at her words, then turned and looked at her for a moment, dark eyes wide.

Then she flipped up so that she was astride Will's arm and gave a rueful grin. "Hulk said 'e had anger management issues. Never said whose anger." She sighed. "I'd never hurt ya, Mara."

Mara stared at her for a moment, then had the awful feeling that the girl knew what was inside of her.

"Yeah?" she snapped, glaring at her. "N' why not?"

"Jubes'd kill me." Stitch gave a Wolverine smirk and drew her legs up to crouch on Will's arm, then leapt forward and vanished into the rubble.

Mara fumed after her, then crossed her arms over her chest and glowered. "Let's get this $#& show on the road."

"'Kay." Will put his other arm back beneath her and started forward, but then stopped as Stitch reappeared.

"Pool's empty," she said, trotting back the other way.

Will sighed and turned to follow.

"Where are we going?" snapped Mara. "If you try to put me in a bathtub... Young Maniac or not I'll rip your ears off!"

"You couldn't," he said absently. "Black Tom tried, and he's stronger than you."

"Don't tell me what I #&&# can and can't do," Mara spat. "Where the #$+& are you taking me!"

"Don't cuss at Willie," growled Stitch from below her. "You'll make 'im cry. We're takin' ya t' the pond."

"N' what are you gonna do about it?" sneered Mara, though the growl had startled her pretty badly. She fumed for a moment, then processed what the girl had said. "Wait, pond? That's got the fish, right?"

"Yeah, there's fish in it. And bugs 'n leeches," grumbled Stitch. "You'd better not be this mean to Jubes. He can't take it."

"Look, I've known you for what, a few hours?" snapped Mara. "Jubal a little longer. Whoever said I was your friend? All of my friends are back in the ocean, they're not up here pretending to be super heroes. They swim and eat and mind their own business, and they don't assume I'm a part of their clan because I've been unconscious in their home for a few days."

"Put her down." Stitch's voice was pure Logan.

"What?" Will stopped and looked over Mara.

"She doesn't want us or like us. Proly doesn't need us either. Put her down 'n let's go look for Bunyip."

Will gave Mara a troubled look. "But she can't..."

"PUT HER DOWN BEFORE I FORGET THE STUPID #$&'s PREGNANT!" roared Stitch with enough force to nearly make Mara wet herself.

"No. Stitch..."

"I can make it on my own," said Mara, voice cold as ice as her chest heaved with anger and disguised fear.

He started to argue, but then seemed to remember something and gently set her down on the rubble-strewn grass, his eyes looking as though he was sending something to its death. "But, Stitch. Bunyip's crazy right now. If he finds her he could hurt her."

"I don't care if she doesn't." The tiny teen turned and jogged toward the trees.

Will swallowed and hovered over Mara protectively, then lowered his head and started to cry.

"Just go," said Mara, looking away from him as she balled her fist. "I'm not helpless, and I sure as heck don't need a bodyguard."

There was a sudden rush of air, and Cable stood and frowned down at her. "What's going on here?"

"I don't need to be baby-sat, that's what!" said Mara loudly, feeling unexplainably angry with Will and Cable for just being there. "N' I never asked to be carried around like a piece of wood. I bet if I'd been allowed I could have made my #&$+ leg work by now!"

The white-haired man gave her an inscrutable look, then the next thing she knew she was hitting the sun-warmed surface of a small body of water with a splash that knocked the wind out of her.

She sank beneath the surface, her mind and emotions in a turmoil, then closed her eyes for a moment and turned her attention toward the fish that lurked beneath the water weeds.


	5. Chapter 5

Mara swam around, enjoying the use of both legs immensely. This pond was tiny, but in it she'd managed to exercise her leg enough that it was nearly fully healed besides being sore most mornings. At night she'd even leave her shelter to walk around and stretch it on land, though she never came out during the day. A few weeks had passed by uneventfully, other than the time Will and Donnie had tried to visit her. She had stayed underwater and hidden in the reeds, not answering even as Donnie reported Jubal getting better and the mansion being repaired. She was in the water now and had no desire to leave. The fish would last another while, and it wasn't like she had anywhere to go anyway. Here in the pond she could scream and rant and cry, and nobody knew. Nobody was around to know about her sudden rush of uncontrollable emotion: grief, anger, happiness, and occasionally a sick nausea. But most importantly, here she felt safe. Safe from Stitch, safe from Bunyip, and best of all, safe from Jubal. She didn't want to see him, or talk to him, she didn't want to have to be ok around him while she still liked him and still had his baby growing inside of her. She was having enough trouble with her emotions right now. In fact the only good piece of luck she seemed to be having when it came to emotions was that for the first time in a while she wasn't having nightmares. She assumed this was because she had enough crazy time during the day to exhaust her at night and keep her too tired to dream.

She did another lap, grabbing half-heartedly at a shiner, then winced and doubled up as her stomach suddenly gave a violent protest to the thought of food. Gasping, she went to the surface and stuck her head out into the air, squinting and blinking and then turning over on her back and laying among the cat-tails as she waited for her senses to clear.

A whiff of familiar smoke tickled her nose and she turned over to peer through the reeds, her eyes narrowing as she saw the figure sitting at the base of a tree a little distance away with his back turned to the pond.

"You really well enough for the smelly stick? I bet Hank doesn't know," she called out, slipping back into the water and treading carefully, trying not to jostle her stomach as she moved a little upwind of the nauseating smell. She saw him start, then his shoulders hunched slightly as one raised in an indifferent shrug.

"He knows."

"Did he say it was alright?" said Mara, arching one thin blue eyebrow. "Not two weeks after you've come down with pneumonia."

His only reply was another shrug and to lift a pop bottle to his mouth and take a long drink.

Mara stared at him for a moment, then turned to go back under, only to feel woozy again at sight of a fish and float weakly on the surface as she tried to get her bearings.

"#$&+ fish do that on purpose," she growled to herself, floating back into the cattails and closing her eyes. She wanted to escape Jubal's line of sight, but settled for the small protection of the cattails as she tried to figure him out. He was ignoring her now, that was pretty clear; but only a few weeks ago he'd decided that she'd have the baby, and promised to help take care of it too.

She shuddered as she thought about her stomach again, then propelled herself over and looked at his back for a moment before taking a shaky breath and speaking, her face drawn in determination even as her spine trembled. "Are you going to help with this thing or am I gonna have to leave?"

He turned to give her a narrow-eyed look of confusion, the wrist of the hand that held the cigar still resting on his up-drawn knee.

Mara tried to remember why she had opened her mouth, then shook her head. "I'm pregnant, remember? I didn't want to be, I don't. I don't know what's gonna happen and the ball's in your court. Do you want to have this kid or not?"

"Do I...?" His confusion increased, tinged now with fear. "I... What?"

"You..." Mara stared him, suddenly realizing he'd forgotten completely.

Tears stung her eyes as her lip curled up, and letting out an agonized yell she turned and slapped the water, then scrubbed her face. He'd forgotten, somehow, the promise he'd made and how he'd held her there on that hospital bed, a moment she'd guiltily hung on to for the past few weeks.

"I don't believe this," she growled, a tear streaking down her cheek as she put her hand over her face. "I don't."

"Oh #$+&!" she heard him gulp. "I... No... No way. I never...! I didn't do that!"

"Nothing!" Mara yelled at him, slapping the water again, then wrapped her hair around her like a blanket as her voice broke. "You did nothing, okay? I didn't do anything either. A reality warper at Hell got overexcited the night of the concert and made me a new five-month old baby that shares our genes. You didn't do a #$+& thing, go away." She turned away from him and stared blankly toward the mansion, shivering slightly in the cool autumn air, then flinched as the cattails behind her rustled.

"I said I'd help ya take care 'a it."

She snuck a look at him then and saw that he was kneeling on the muddy bank among the cattails, his hair-shadowed eyes locked onto her. His face was dead serious and the smile she had dreamed of was nowhere to be seen, only a vague ghost of the man she'd seen by the corner of Hell filling in the blanks of his face and posture.

"You were delirious," she moaned, terrified of him all of a sudden. "Go away, leave me alone!"

A strong hand seized her elbow and pulled her from the water, then arms wrapped around her and held her close.

"Don't matter," he murmured gruffly, laying his cheek against the back of her hair. "I promised. 'N I'll do it."

Mara struggled for a moment to keep her head, but then she lost her grip on her emotions, her love for him flooding her mind as she leaned back and sobbed, pinned in his gentle embrace as every tear she thought she'd gotten rid of in the past two weeks flowed from her. She gasped for breath and squeezed her eyes closed, but could not force the strength to belay the onrush of fear, anger, pride, and love.

Jubal rocked her, his hands strong but gentle on her wrists. "Shh, darlin'. I got ya. Shh, it's gonna be alright. It's gonna be alright."

"No, it's not!" Mara wept. "It can't be, I can't do it! I'm scared!"

"I know," he said softly, nuzzling his face against her hair. "So'm I. But I got ya." One hand let go her wrist to slip down and cover her stomach. "I got both 'a ya."

Mara gasped and struggled inwardly against the torrent of emotion and change, then went limp as a feeling of such security enveloped her that she forgot how to float, allowing somebody else to catch her and provide her sanctuary for the first time.

Jubal rocked her in silence for a few more minutes, then gently scooped her into his arms and headed toward the house, that deadly serious expression never leaving his face. "Marry me?"

"Just for the kid," Mara sobbed, trembling and feeling him shake as well. "Just for the kid we never freaking tried out for!"

"Yes or no, darlin'?" he said softly, once more resting his cheek against her hair as she wept into the front of his leather jacket.

"You don't want a wife." Her tears went silent. "Too young. We're not supposed to. You don't want me for your wife any more than you want my kid to be yours."

"He is mine," he said firmly, his hard voice softening just a fraction. "He's mine, 'n nothin's ever gonna change that. 'N I want 'im." His arms tightened around her.

"You don't want me," Mara repeated brokenly, clutching his jacket. "You don't, not me. Not just for him. You can have him, you don't have to take me."

Jubal didn't reply, only continued into the house and then up the stairs and to his room, where he stood her gently on the floor and went to his dresser.

"Here." He dug in a bottom drawer and tossed her a pair of red plaid pajama pants, then walked to his closet and went inside.

Mara caught the pants, clutching them for a moment before she sniffed and angrily wiped her tears, then quickly kicked off her bottoms and pulled up the pj's as she tried to keep track of what was going on. She could hear Jubal rustling around inside the closet as he searched for something, muttering savagely about 'mess' and 'freakin' slob'. Then he gave a low exclamation of satisfaction and came back out, taking her hand and pressing something small and hard into it.

Mara looked at the wolf and tiger on the beautifully carved jade box, then sucked in her breath and opened it, eyes widening as she saw the most exquisite jade ring she'd ever laid eyes on inside, its colour and pattern matching the box perfectly.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, then snapped the box shut, clutching it to her chest as she nodded and gasped for breath, then shuddering as she slowly got her grip and forced herself to stop crying.

"I can't wear it," she said softly, handing it back with her fingers separated slightly to reveal the webbing in between. "Don't waste this on me, I can't wear it like it should be worn."

He put a hand over hers that held the box, shaking his head slightly. "Yer not the wrappin' paper, Mara."

She frowned, then gasped again as she understood the meaning of the jade box. Jubal was trying to show her what he couldn't say, likening this exquisite, priceless work of art to Mara herself. Yes, she was a package for his unborn child, but she was also something to be sought out and treasured in and of herself.

Her head bowed, but then she glanced up at him, asking for his comfort again with her terrified, shining eyes as she returned the box to her chest.

That serious expression never left his face, but she saw a glimmer in those hard blue eyes as he reached toward her with one hand. Then he stopped and looked down at himself with a curse before glancing toward a heap of denim that lay on the corner of his bed.

Mara looked at it, then towards the closet, suddenly realizing that every item of clothing he ever wore was lying on his floor and bed, while the pajamas she now had on had been stored away neatly in his dresser. She also realized he wanted to change out of his mud-soaked jeans. Swallowing, she turned away, then spun back and fell into his arms, feeling herself caught and held close despite the mud he was so wary of.

He rocked on the balls of his feet, stroking her hair, then pushed back a little and gave her a slight smile before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Mara looked at him for a moment, then turned her head away and forced herself to try to wriggle free as she jammed the box further into her chest to stop her hands' shaking.

"I...I've gotta go," she said hoarsely, still thinking about what he'd said about his gift to her. "This...thanks. If you ever want it back just...just tell me."

He pulled her close again and held her firmly, then took her hands in his and went to one knee in front of her. "Please?"

She stared down at the hint of wistfulness that suddenly softened his face, then slowly nodded as she shuddered.

"You don't have to," she added in a meek whisper as her eyes fell.

"I want to," he said firmly, giving her a hint of a roguish smirk and pressing her hand in his as he got to his feet.

Then he winced and closed his eyes as his face paled.

"You ok?" said Mara worriedly. "What's wrong, are you still sick? Or just tired?"

"First day Hank's let me out of the house," he said, smirking again without opening his eyes or letting go her good hand.

"N' you carried me up here?" Mara looked at him as if he were crazy. "$#+&, punk boy, you're really weird. You should sit...or something."

"Er somethin'." His eyes creased at the corners with pain as the hand holding hers trembled. "Stay with me?"

"Only if you sit down." Mara bit her lip.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her legs, then cursed softly. "Y'll need another pair 'a pants." He pointed to the dresser drawer, then snagged a pair of black jeans from his bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

Mara nodded and walked over, opening the drawer and looking through it, finding more pajama bottoms and a few large band t-shirts. Grimacing at her soggy hospital gown, she pulled it off and replaced it quickly with one of the older-looking shirts, swiftly following that action with a fast pants change. Then she blinked as she noticed a few anime dolls, cute stuffed animals, and action figures laying under the clothes. Arching an eyebrow, she slipped the jade box into a pocket and picked up a small black cat with big white eyes and looked at it closely. Setting it down, she poked at a pair of black ray-bans, and even more surprising, what looked like a beat up bright yellow rain coat.

Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at the pile of faded black jeans and T-shirts on the corner of the bed, then quirked an eyebrow as she saw a pair of fire engine red Converse laying tumbled in a back corner of the open closet.

"Well this is a clashing opinion," she finally muttered, deciding that these items must have belonged to his happier self. If that were the case, he'd made one heck of a transition.

The banging of what sounded like knuckles against the bathroom door and a snarled curse made her snap to reality, and she slid the drawer shut and looked up to see a weary-looking Jubal walk stocking foot into the room and throw himself down on the bed, where he stared moodily at the ceiling.

She stared at him almost fearfully, then shook herself as she pushed his resemblance to the first time she'd been in this room from her mind.

"You ok?" she said uncertainly, not sure what he wanted her to do.

He started slightly and looked at her, then rolled over and smothered a yawn against his arm, his expression turning to a distracted frown as he visibly fought off sleep.

"Jubes?" said Mara softly, slowly approaching the bed but ready to flee if he rejected her presence.

He gave a mournful sigh and slid over to make room for her, then shuddered and grumbled, rubbing his eyes without lifting his head. "Don't need t' sleep. All I need's another Jolt."

"They don't last too long though," she said, walking over and setting the jade box on the nightstand as she remembered Jean's mention of nightmares, and the way he'd clung to her when they were down in the medlab. "Try to sleep, I'll be here in case anything happens." Still prepared to be shoved away she hesitatingly moved down and lay beside him, trying to process everything that she'd found out about him.

He grumbled again and snuggled close, then buried his face in the crook of his arm and was out like the proverbial light.

Mara looked at him, wondering how long he'd gone on the Jolt colas, then looked back at the jade box, suddenly realizing she'd just agreed to marry him. It didn't feel completely right, but as she watched him sleeping she realized it didn't feel completely wrong either. After a moment she allowed herself a small, fearful smile as she leaned in, touching her forehead to his hair as she breathed in his warm, comfortable cologne and feeling all too aware she probably smelled like the fishy hospital gown. Her problems and worries faded from her mind as she closed her eyes and nestled against him, following him gently into slumber.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jubes, you $#+&!"

Mara gasped and bolted upright as the bed dented suddenly and Jubal gave a yelp of surprise.

"You dirty creep! You turned Mom off again!" snarled Stitch, knees firmly planted on his kidneys as she pounded on him.

"Woah! Cut it out, kid!" Ruh dragged her off of him and shook her soundly. "I ain't hurt!"

Stitch snarled at her, then turned a savage glare toward Jubal as he cautiously peeked at her from under the shelter of his arms.

"Jubal, you ok?" asked Mara, one hand on his arm as she moved forward and narrowed her eyes. Then she blinked and stared at the teen and the AI, stunned by how identical they looked save for Ruh's thinness and cropped hair.

"Yeah." He sat up and smirked, then stretched and glanced toward the window.

"You came back." Stitch stopped snarling and stared at Mara with surprise, her dark eyes full of hurt and confusion.

"Didn't leave," said Mara, scowling. "I was in the pond. Where you wanted to put me."

"Hey." Jubal put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently, asking her to cut the younger teen some slack.

"Yeah, I know." Stitch tucked her hair behind one ear and cocked her head. "But you're in here."

Ruh shook her head and looked slightly befuddled. "Stitch, leave yer brother alone. 'Scuse me."

Jubal snorted, his smirk turning into a grin as she blinked out of sight.

"It's not funny!" Stitch grabbed a pillow.

Mara pulled away slightly, then blinked and reached past Jubal to grab the jade box and stuff it into her pj pants as she edged away from the irate girl.

He glanced at her and sobered, then reached over and pulled her close. "Cut it out, Stitch, yer scarin' Mara."

The black-haired girl lowered her impromptu weapon slightly, the scowl fading from her face as she looked at him quizzically.

"We're gettin' married, chica," he said softly.

Stitch blinked, then dropped the pillow as her mouth fell open. "But she said she didn't like you."

Jubal shrugged. "I like her."

"Does this mean I have to stay away from you now?" asked Stitch unhappily. "'Cause I know she don't like me."

"I never said I didn't like him," said Mara, shrinking against Jubal. Then she looked the younger girl up and down, thinking about what had happened at their last encounter. "I'm a #&+$, ok? Not just to you. It was nothing personal."

"It hurt pretty bad," said Stitch softly, lowering her eyes. "Nearly as bad as when I thought Mom was gone again."

Jubal swore under his breath, then put out his other arm and pulled her down to sit next to him. "Dangit, I'm sorry, chica. I won't turn 'er off no more."

"It was a bad day, nothing personal," Mara repeated more softly as she looked away.

"Are you already gettin' the moods?" asked Stitch, reaching over and touching the older girl's arm. "How old's the baby?"

"I'm supposed to be five months into it." Mara cringed, realizing how little she knew. "I don't know what I'm gonna be getting or when."

"Oh boy." Stitch's eyes widened. "Auntie Betsy nearly blew Sabie's brains out his ears when she was five months along."

Mara noticed a hint of contentment in Jubal's face as she shrugged the shoulder further away from him. "Then you can blame it on that, I guess."

"Yeah." Stitch cocked her head and looked at her alertly, then glanced at Jubal as he straightened.

"Hey, Mara's your sister now, scrub," he said. "Whatcha think'a that?"

Stitch blinked, then squeaked and leaped across his lap to wrap strong arms around the water girl in a whole-hearted glomp.

Mara stiffened and gasped, then looked down in shock at the top of the younger girl's head before she looked back at Jubal pleadingly. Her face softened however when she saw the look of almost happiness on his. Swallowing, she looked down again and forced herself to patiently wait for Stitch to release her.

"Hey, mate. Lunch time," said an Aussi-accented voice from the door.

Mara looked up to see the sleek-furred Bunyip looking at she and Stitch with twinkling brown eyes. She frowned at him, then glanced at Jubal as he rubbed her back absently.

"Who's cookin'?" asked her fiancé indifferently.

"Bobby." The Australian shrugged and scratched at one small, flat ear.

$#+& that $#+&, said Jubal in disgust. "I ain't eatin' that slop."

"More fer me 'n Rouge." Bunyip smirked and walked away.

"Uncle Hank says you need t' eat." Stitch loosed Mara to sit up and look at her honorary brother with a frown.

Jubal just growled and turned away, going to his belly on the bed and fishing around under it with one hand.

"Jubes?" Mara arched an eyebrow. "What're you doin'?"

He paused and looked back at her, then sat up with a can of Red Bull in his hand. "You hungry?"

She blinked absently and mentally questioned the baby, then nodded before she looked up at him and smiled teasingly. "Red Bull's not exactly lunch for you."

He glanced at it, then popped the tab and took an absent swig. "Wanna go t' Hell?"

"Not on a bike." Mara blinked. "You have a car?"

"Truck." He glanced at the clock, then got to his feet and went to get his jacket and boots from the bathroom. "Wanna take a shower before we go?"

Mara looked at Stitch, who was grinning, plainly sure of her inclusion in the venture. The tall aquatic found to her surprise that the thought didn't disturb her.

"Wouldn't mind," she said, getting up off the bed as well. "I'll only be a sec."

"K." He slipped the jacket on and patted his pocket. "Send Stitch down when yer ready." He paused and gave her that serious look again, his lips twitching ever so slightly, then turned and strode from the room.

Mara glanced at Stitch, then walked to the bathroom, sniffing at herself and wrinkling her nose again, glad to have a chance to get some of the stale pond water scent off of her. A minute later she was smiling at the cold blast of water and scrubbing herself down with the bar of soap she'd found laying in the bottom of the shower. Finishing quickly, she turned off the tap, then shook the excess water off and stepped out, perfectly dry as she slipped back into the PJ pants and shirt. Wincing at a growl from her stomach, she left the bathroom and nodded at Stitch. "I'm good."

"Okay!" Her young sister-in-law-to-be bounded off the bed and ran out of the room. Mara heard her shouting somewhere, then heard her bounce off of someone on the way back.

"He says t' wait in the green sittin' room while he gets the truck goin' 'n tells Chuck where we're gonna be," she said, rubbing her shoulder absently.

Mara nodded, then carefully set the jade box on the nightstand again so that there was no risk of anything happening to it, giving it a last glance before she turned and followed her new sister-in-law-to-be downstairs. At the doorway to the room that Bobby and Emma had been in on her first day at the school she caught a familiar warm, salty scent, and wondered about Donnie briefly before going into the room and flopping on the worn-looking couch. Stitch curled up beside her, dark eyes gazing absently toward the French doors, her serious expression reminding Mara even more of Logan.

Then both girls froze and looked up as Creed stumbled into the room and crouched in front of the armchair, his broad shoulders shaking in unmistakable sobs.

Mara jerked away from him and curled tighter, feeling Stitch put a hand on her arm, warning her to be quiet and not let him become aware of their presence. She was shocked to see the silent little head of Goldie, barely visible in his arms, and trembled slightly at the thought of what could make an ex con break down so completely. Looking over at Stitch she saw her younger accomplice's eyes closed tightly, twin streaks of sympathetic tears running down her face.

"Aww, #$+&!" said Jubal's voice from the door, then he walked inside and went to one knee next to the older man. "Hey...Sabie?"

"Can't take it no more," gasped Creed without looking up. "Why's bein' good gotta hurt so $#+$ bad?"

"Dunno," said Jubal softly, his expression going stoney and bleak. "Maybe that's why I gave up on it."

Creed groaned and lowered his face to Goldie's fuzzy hair as his weeping grew more desperate.

Jubal stood and closed the door, locking it as he glanced toward where the girls huddled together unhappily on the couch.

-Just be still a minute,- said his voice softly in Mara's mind.

She jerked convulsively as her eyes widened, unconsciously crossing her arms defensively. -You're a telepath?-

-Yeah, sucks to be me.- He turned back to Creed and hunkered down, leaving her the distinct impression that he was none too impressed with that portion of his mutation.

Stitch shifted slightly and clung to her, shaking and wetting the side of Mara's borrowed shirt with tears as she hid her face in the worn fabric. The older teen found herself putting an arm around the girl and rubbing her back absently as she watched the big blond feral totally fall apart, clinging to Goldie like a lifeline.

"Sadie," he gasped, rocking. "Brownie... 'N the runt... I hated the runt. Her bein' dead ain't supposed t' hurt... Ain't supposed t' hurt."

Jubal shook his head but said nothing from where he knelt beside him offering the support of his presence.

Mara frowned absently as she listened to the broken words, distracted by a marvelous glimmer of good feeling, faint but warm, as she comforted somebody for the first time in her life. She wondered at it as she held Stitch.

Then Ruh was there, her glow showing plainly in the shadowed room as she stumbled slightly and then crouched beside Creed to put her arms around him.

"It hurts," she husked softly. "It hurts like a #$+&. But yer not alone, bub. Y' got friends now that'd die fer ya."

"Don' wan' 'em t' die," he gasped. "Wan' 'em t' live. Don' wan' 'em t' die."

Goldie stirred and looked up, then pulled one little hand free to pat his face. "Dittydittydada?"

Creed collapsed, sprawling on his side on the carpet as he curled around the golden baby and wept aloud, the sound of his grief causing Mara's throat to constrict. Ruh murmured softly and rubbed his back with one hand, the other patting his chest as she sat and leaned against his back.

Jubal watched for a few minutes, then stood shakily and turned blindly toward the couch.

-C'mere,- Mara called softly, looking at him mournfully as she continued to sooth Stitch.

He looked at her blankly through eyes that were empty of tears and everything else, then walked over mechanically and fell into the last empty place, drawing his knees up to his chest and leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling.

Mara carefully put her head on his shoulder, biting her lip as she pulled Stitch a mite closer. -Stay here,- she whispered, watching his struggle to distance himself from the happenings in the room. -Stay here with me n' Stitch?-

"I'm..." His face crumpled slightly and returned to blankness. "Yeah."

Mara nuzzled his shoulder slightly, then sighed to herself.

They sat there, sheltering one another against the storms that raged in the room. Mara could feel something that she nearly didn't recognize, something she hadn't felt since she was very young. It was a swelling in her heart that pushed away fear and doubt, the same way a flower bulb pushed away the dirt in its pot. It was a fierce feeling that throbbed and burned, and made her want to cry, but also to laugh and scream. It was connected to Jubal and Stitch, and even to the big man who now sobbed softly on the other side of the room.

"Love," she whispered.

Stitch sniffed and looked up at her questioningly.

"Nothing," she said quickly, eyes widening before she hid against Jubal's shoulder again, stunned by this development. She'd forgotten the feeling, and her re-introduction to it was nearly overwhelming.

"Dittydittydada," said Goldie softly.

There was a sniff and the sound of a body moving against the carpet, then Creed's gruff voice. "Yeah?"

"Y' feelin' better?" asked Ruh softly.

"Why the heck'd y' haveta give up, Runt?" he asked instead of replying. "Y' had a lot t' live for yet."

"Yeah," said Ruh huskily. "But she couldn't remember it. They'd fed her so many drugs 'n wiped 'er mind so bad that she didn' remember anythin' but the arena 'n 'er cage."

"So y' were gone b'fore that thing ever killed ya," he rumbled bleakly.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, bub."

He was silent for a few minutes, then cleared his throat and spoke again. "Y' died like an animal. Y' were afraid 'a that."

"No," she whispered. "I remembered there was more t' me than fightin', there at the end. That's why I let it take me. I knew I was human. I knew I was God's. 'N I knew I was goin' t' a better place. Just wish I could'a known 'bout Jabez 'n Stitch before I died. 'N remembered Jubes." Sighing, she rubbed her face, then winked out of sight.

"Yeah." Creed turned, then raised himself on one elbow to look at the couch just as Mara snuck a look at him.

She lowered her eyes to avoid his, then gently took Jubal's hand as he swore and pounded on the arm of the couch. Grimacing at the hint of how Logan had died, she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder again as her eyes squeezed shut briefly, aware of Creed's eyes on them and Stitch buried in her shirt, and Jubal's continued cursing.

-Don't give up on being good,- she said softly, both to herself and Jubal. -Don't. It hurts, but it can heal too. It has to, at least a little bit.-

He went still for a moment, but then squeezed her hand and pushed off the couch. "Hey, Sabie, we're goin' t' Hell. You wanna come too?"

"Goin' where?" the big man's voice cracked in surprise.

Jubal sniggered. "Hell. They make a mean quesadilla."

Mara watched him swagger out, then bowed her head to look down at Stitch and smoothed her hair.

"Chin up, kid," she said gruffly. "Jubal's up, n' you wanna see everyone at Hell, right?"

Stitch giggled and lifted her head, then looked over her shoulder at Creed's face and broke into an honest laugh.

"What the heck are ya talkin' about?" demanded the big blond mutant, frowning at Mara.

"Sorry," she grunted. "Hell's a club that Gator owns. It's where Jubal and I went the night... The night I got here."

"What kinda name's that?" His expression went bemused as he pulled himself up to his feet and rubbed Goldie's back.

"Gator's a Morlock," said Stitch merrily, then got up and bounded over to wrap her arms around him in what looked to be a painful glomp.

"Ah, that explains it." He grunted and winced, then gently hugged her back. "Y'sure y' want an old fart like me taggin' along?"

"Jubes wants ya t' come." Stitch let go and took Goldie, then bounced over and dumped her in Mara's arms as the aqua punk got to her feet. "There, practice. Let's go before the truck idles all the gas away." She grinned a rotten grin and darted away.

Mara gasped and almost dropped the baby, her breath catching in her throat as she awkwardly held the child and looked down at her. "Um, yeah," she said, feeling the hair of the fuzzy manes that went down Goldie's back and arms cling to her arm as if it were alive, and gaping at the softness of it. Then she grimaced and looked at Creed pleadingly.

"Here," he rumbled softly, holding out his arms.

Mara winced at the pain in his eyes and voice as she handed the little one back to him, then turned away. "I...I'm sorry. I can't."

Before she knew what was happening she'd turned and given him a brief hug, then leapt backwards. Staring at him for a moment in shock and fear, she swallowed and then turned and raced out of the room as fast as she could, only to slam into someone and stagger back.

"Woah! Careful, Mara!" said Donnie as he caught her.

"Donnie!" she gasped, slightly disoriented by her crash. "Hey... Woah...you ok? I'm sorry, I...I didn't see you."

"I'm okay," he said, looking up at her thoughtfully and letting his hands fall away from her waist. "What were you running from?" He peered around her. "Oh, hi, Mr. Creed."

"I...nothing," she said, remembering to breath as she cringed inwardly.

"Mara, Sabie, COME ON!" yelled Stitch from the foyer.

"Hey, kid," rumbled Creed, gently pushing past Mara and walking toward the demanding call.

"You're going out?" Donnie's forehead creased as he turned back and studied her. "You're looking a lot better."

"Yeah, we're going to have lunch at Hell," she said, looking down. "Something to do with a lousy cook today." She glanced at him, then at his shoulder, seeing no trace of the horrible injuries that had been there the last time she'd seen him. "I gotta go." She started to turn away but then looked at him again. "Nerves...you know I wasn't blowing you off at the pond before?" She winced. "Well, I was, but it wasn't anything to do with you."

"You were pretty mad," he said softly, blushing and looking at his bare feet. "I'm glad you came back, though."

"I kinda had to," said Mara, then realized he didn't know about the baby or her engagement. "But, um, Nerves...I kinda have to talk to you later, if that's ok."

"Sure." He glanced up with a shy smile. "I'll be in the pool after classes."

Mara jumped slightly as Stitch hollered again, then nodded at him. "Ok. After classes then. Um, see ya, Nerves, don't choke on your lunch."

"I nearly did," she heard him say wryly as she turned and ran toward the foyer.

Stitch started, her expression turned from worry to relief at the sight of her.

"I'm not running away, kid," said Mara gruffly, feeling an overwhelming surge of affection for the young teen.

Stitch gave her a grin that lit her whole heart-shaped face, but then sobered. "Are you gonna be okay sitting next ta Goldie? Her chair don't fit in the back."

"I'm ok," said the water girl, though she winced inside. "C'mon, Jubes' waiting."

Stitch gave a little bounce, then poked her in the ribs and raced toward the double doors, which were closed for once.

Mara blinked at the obvious tag, then smiled slightly and followed at a more relaxed pace, one more feeling mellow and peaceful. The sun was bright after the peaceful shadows of the house and she blinked, then nearly laughed out loud at the sight of Creed stuffed in the back seat of the battered old white and blue crew cab that stood on the front walk.

"You sure you don't want front?" She smirked as she opened the passenger side door and looked at him, then stepped aside so that Stitch could crawl over the front seat.

"I'm good," he rumbled, reaching out and snagging the black-haired girl and plunking her on the little jump-seat across from him. "Sit by yer ol' man."

Mara swallowed as she saw Jubal give the older man a baleful look, then blinked as he directed a glance full of sympathy and gruff apology toward her. "Come on, darlin'. My gut's startin' t' think my throat's cut."

She nodded, then hoisted herself into the car and shut the door, fastening the seat belt before she looked at him again. "How busy is Hell in the day?"

"Dead." He turned and put an elbow on the seat as he backed down the walk and then turned onto the browning lawn before burning rubber toward the driveway.

"Nice," growled Creed.

"Yeah, ain't it?" Jubal smirked and drove at the speed limit down the drive and through the gates.

Mara smiled slightly too, though her stomach was slightly upset again. She was surprised to realize that it wasn't car sickness, as was usual for her, but rather hunger, a dull ache she hadn't felt in a while. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at Goldie and blinked as the tiny girl looked back, her amber eyes wide from watching the scenery outside the windsheild.

"Dittyda?" asked the baby, reaching up to point over the back of the seat with one twig-slender finger and perking her ears.

"Yeah, sure," said Mara, grunting slightly. "The blonde's back there."

Goldie quirked one eyebrow, her arm relaxing slightly though it still lay against the seat back. "Dabla goo?"

Mara blinked. "What makes you think I have any idea what you're saying?"

The baby sighed and slumped in her car seat, fingering a worn stuffed lion that hung from the side of it.

"Moeder," she said in a sad little broken voice, her eyes brimming with tears.

"#$+&, don't cry," Mara said in alarm, then looked up at Jubal for help. "What do I do?"

"Beats me," he said, looking dismayed himself as he kept his eyes on the road. "Sabie, she's cryin'."

Creed reached over the seat and gently put his hand on the baby's head, smoothing that soft hair and rumbling in what Mara realized was a deep, tender purr.

As she watched Goldie sighed and closed her eyes, her tiny hand closing over the stuffed lion's red mane as she gave another shuddering sigh and went to sleep.

The water girl swallowed a lump, then leaned back against the window and closed her own eyes as the purr soothed her and rumbled through her bones.

Smiling slightly, she followed Goldie into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey. Mara, we're here." Someone patted her gently on the head. "Let me out, I gotta pee."

"I could'a died happy not knowin' that," grumbled Creed from somewhere outside the truck.

"Urgh," said Mara, blinking and sitting up straight, then absently unbuckling herself as she stretched and looked around to find herself outside of Hell. Turning to Stitch she quirked a grin. "Just a minute, kid, I've got breathing exercises after I wake up. Can't move before they're done."

"I'm gonna pee in the truck!" threatened Stitch.

"Good grief." Creed stuck his head and shoulders in through the other door and pulled the teen out by the back of her jacket. "Quit bein' so blond."

"Look who's talkin', Sabie." Stitch clenched a fist at him, then looked at it bemusedly and ran toward the door of the club.

"Kid had to pee," Mara commented dryly, looking around as she stepped out of the truck and shut the door, seeing Jubal standing next to Creed and holding Goldie to his chest. He was looking indifferent to the world, but cuddled in his grasp Goldie babbled soulfully, big eyes wide with the passion of her story.

Mara arched a brow at her, then looked around again. "You were right, this place is dry in daylight."

"Most people got a livin' t' make." Creed scratched one sideburn and looked down at his daughter. "Y' okay with 'er?"

Jubal snorted and handed the baby over, then jerked his head at Mara with a slight smirk and headed toward the door, pausing so that she could walk beside him.

The aqua punk's mouth twitched at the familiar gesture as she caught up with him and strolled into the club, Creed and Goldie close behind them. She blinked to clear her eyes as she came into the big, cool room, seeing no one but two little boys wrestling like kittens on the stage and a tiny girl with white hair and a white dress laying on the bar and staring fixedly into the rafters.

"Wow. It's bigger than it looks when it's crowded," she said, looking around and avoiding the sight of the little girl, glancing instead toward the low murmur of people hidden in the booths. Then she blinked as an aggravated-sounding chiming tinkled at the back of her mind, followed by the appearance of a tiny blond woman in a sparkling purple fairy gown who looked up at Creed and Jubal with reproach in her big green eyes.

"Sorry, Tink," said Jubal. "Table fer four 'n a baby."

The little blond nodded, the chiming in Mara's mind taking on a happier note as she turned and led the way to a rounded booth midway between the pit and the bar.

"There's somethin' on the ceilin'," said Creed, looking up as Jubal slid over and let Mara have the outside place.

Tink glanced up and nodded, then frowned up at the big mutant and thinned her lips.

"S'just Slime," said Jubal. "Yer #$+&in' Tink off, shieldin' 'er out. She can't talk t' ya."

Creed blinked and looked down at the tiny waitress in surprise, then quirked one eyebrow.

Tink smiled winsomely, then looked at Jubal.

"Bull," he said indifferently.

The chiming sounded once more in Mara's mind, followed by the image of an empty glass and a question mark.

"I'll have a Bull and a glass of water," she said, taking one of the handwritten menus and glancing at it, eyebrows raising at the promise of any food she wanted during the day.

"Sure y' wanna Bull, darlin'?" Jubal frowned at her and rested one arm on the table.

"Watered down," said Mara, nodding, then frowning as one hand drew closer to her stomach. "Unless it would hurt it?"

"Bets said it ain't good," he said gruffly. "She gave up coffee fer hers."

"Yeah, 'n it made 'er try t' kill me," growled Creed, setting Goldie on the table and carefully taking her fuzzy pink coat off.

"Dittyda?" she asked, looking up at him seriously.

"Yeah, sweetheart. Let's git this offa ya." He smiled, his craggy face suddenly tender.

"Just water," Mara said to Tink, rubbing the back of her neck with a grimace and making a mental note to find a way of learning more about pregnancy when she got back to the mansion. "How is Betsy anyway? She didn't sound so good last time I heard her."

"She'n the twins're alright," said Creed gruffly, setting Goldie down on the floor. "But she's feelin' pretty low."

Jubal snorted as he watched Tink fly away.

"Y' quit bein' such a hard#$+&," growled Creed.

"Or what? Y' gonna pray at me?" Jubal sneered, then stared up into the rafters.

Creed sighed and rubbed his face, looking tired and pained, then glanced down to make sure Goldie was safe.

"Jubes," Mara muttered, looking at him.

He looked back at her with a frown, then softened and put an arm around her waist, kissing her on the forehead.

She held back a soft gasp, then chewed the inside of her lip and guardedly lay her head on his shoulder, frowning slightly even as her stomach fluttered with a pleased and disbelieving feeling that he had shown her, of all people, such a measure of affection.

He sighed and rubbed her back, then looked around as Tink returned and started setting their drinks on the table, including a tall glass of pink juice that she pushed over in front of Mara.

The aqua-haired girl lifted her head and blinked at the tiny waitress, then picked up the drink and took a small sip, finding the drink to be lightly sweetened grapefruit juice.

"Oh, thanks," she said, putting it down. "Er, where are the bathrooms?"

Tink pointed and chimed in the back of her mind, then smiled and darted away.

Mara blinked as she realized that the small woman had made the drink delivery while floating a couple foot off the floor, then looked over at Jubal, feeling reluctant to leave his grip. "Excuse me a minute, punk boy."

He nodded and set her free, giving her a glance as though to make sure she was alright as she slid out of the booth.

She sighed and walked towards the bathroom, passing Stitch on the way and getting a grin from her young sister-in-law-to-be. She paused to watch the young teen hurry over to the booth and crawl under the table to get to the inside place. Wondering at the girl's cheerfulness, she continued on to the bathroom and quickly finished her business.

She frowned at her reflection as she washed her hands, the memory of Creed's sobs as he'd lain there in the sitting room coming back to her mind. Before she knew what was happening she sniffed, then squeezed her eyes shut and gasped for breath as tears started trickling down her cheeks, the big man's sorrow calling to mind her own losses.

"#&+$!" she gulped, then burst into sobs, clutching the edge of the black counter to keep from crumpling.

"Hey, what's up?" asked a throaty voice as a hand rubbed her back soothingly.

Mara gasped aloud, slipping as she jerked away and spun to see a red-haired woman with hazel cat's eyes watching her with calm compassion.

"Gonna get yourself puking if ya keep that up," said the stranger softly, pushing aside her leather jacket to rub her rounded belly, which was covered by a black mini dress.

Mara stared at the belly, then looked up at the woman's face, wondering at the feeling that she could trust her.

"What do you know about it?" She sniffed, looking down sharply as she scrubbed her eyes. "I'm not getting fat already, am I?"

The woman tapped the side of her nose, eyes dancing slightly, then growled and rubbed her belly again. "I'm Fox."

"Another sniffer," said Mara huffily, still trying to get rid of the tears as she turned away, then staring at the woman in the mirror and thinking that she looked too pretty to be a Morlock. "What tribe you from?"

Fox snorted. "Sealy's Army. Come on 'n sit over here for a minute." She gestured with her head toward a pair of chairs that sat at the back of the room.

"Sealy's..." Mara blinked, remembering the Army's good rep back in her old bars. Paired with the comforting feelings emitting from this woman, she decided to sit.

Fox growled again and smacked the side of her stomach, then looked up with a grin. "Sorry, little brat's demanding her ol' man." She sobered. "What's buggin' ya?"

Mara shook her head. "I don't know. I don't freak out like that usually... Some guy was upset t'day and I got set off just thinking about it."

"He cussin'?" Fox frowned slightly.

"Crying," said Mara softly, staring fixedly at the floor. "He lost a lot of people he loved, I guess."

Fox made a soft sound of sympathy. "He part'a your tribe?"

"I'm sorta gonna enter his," said Mara, her voice hushed. "Some reality changer decided it would be great to make me five months pregnant with a guy's kid. I had only met him that night...n' now he's gonna marry me because of it. He's in the same tribe as the guy who was crying."

"Do you love him?" asked Fox, giving her belly another absent swat.

Mara's eyes widened as she saw something give the black dress a sharp rap from underneath. "I...yeah. I do," she said softly, still looking at the belly. "I do..."

"But you're scared spitless of the whole deal," said Fox.

"Yeah," Mara said softly, her breathing quickening again slightly as another tear leaked out. "Yeah... I didn't used to care, n' I cried my tears a long time ago, but now...everything's so weird. There's this whole...family, and I don't know any of them, but now I'm marrying a guy I hardly know...I'm not even twenty yet! I never wanted a baby, but now I want to make him happy, so I'm gonna do it, and I don't know a rat's #$+& about babies or being pregnant or anything! I can hardly even look at kids, how am I supposed to be a mother?"

"What about kids creeps you out?" Fox shifted in her chair and growled under her breath, then gasped softly and arched her back, not taking her eyes from the water girl's face.

Mara closed her eyes tightly to avoid that sympathetic gaze and shook her head, then let out a low moan.

"I killed two lil' girls," she whispered, more tears leaking out as she shook her head again, feeling the weight of her secret now more than ever before. Her voice was raspy as she started to cry again. "I set off a gun by mistake, n' it started a fire n' blew up the car they were in. I tried t' save 'em, they were only babies, but I couldn't get them out n' they burned t' death... They were only babies!"

"'N every time ya look at another kid ya see them," said Fox, reaching out and putting an arm around her. "Look, it was an accident. You tried t' save 'em. Beatin' yourself up about it's just #$+&."

"You never saw them!" Mara gasped hoarsely, leaning into the embrace. "I was gonna hurt them anyway! I was after their father...he'd killed my family...but when I got my chance to get him they were there too. I saw them, I could've left them all alone, waited longer to get him or something, but I didn't! It was my fault."

"Never said it wasn't," said Fox, stroking her hair. "You did it, 'n nothin's ever gonna undo that. But beatin' yerself up over it is #$+&. Would ya do it again? Did ya think it was fun?"

Mara shook her head, choking on her tears.

Fox took a deep breath. "I remember one winter we were short on eats. The other gangs were really crackin' down on us, 'n most the Army was sick with some kinda flu. I wasn't, but I was knocked up so big I could hardly walk. I knew there were thugs waitin' just outside t' jump anybody that came out, but it got so bad inside that I sent this little kid called Wrapper Snapper out t' try 'n panhandle somethin' fer us." She inhaled again, then let out a faint squeak. "He never came back. I see him every time I lookit another kid that size, but I know I didn't do it because I wanted him t' die. 'N I know God doesn't hold it against me. So I let it go. I cry when I remember, 'n I'd die before I ever sent another little kid out like that, but I don't beat myself up over it. I was just a dumb kid when it happened, 'n I know better now."

Mara's desperate sobs gave way to silent tears as she listened, soothed by the woman's story and maternal comfort. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut after the story was finished, then opened them again, feeling disoriented and jarred as she stared once more at the floor.

"You didn't see 'em," she repeated. "I don't know anything about how to take care of a baby, I can't even make myself want it! I was fine when it was dolphins, but what if I make another mistake? What if I hurt this one too?"

"I seen Snapper." Fox's voice was rough. "They couldn't have his coffin open at the funeral." She shuddered slightly, then sighed. "You love your guy, right?"

"Yeah," said Mara, both confused and trembling as she admitted the fact again. "I...I do."

"All of him?" asked Fox softly, her hand going still on the girl's blue hair.

"I...I guess so." Mara looked up at her questioningly.

"Yes or no?" Fox asked sternly.

"Yes," whispered Mara, looking down.

"Well that baby is part of him," said Fox, her rich voice soft and tender.

"I didn't mean to," said Mara, another tear leaking out. "Didn't mean to love anything! It's not me, I don't like anybody!"

"Bull $&#," said Fox calmly, giving her a little shake. "Ever' body loves. Even freakin' Doc Ock's got a girlfriend he turns into a suck around."

Mara looked at her, remembering Creed's tears and what she'd said to Jubal about being good. She remembered what she'd heard others saying, about love healing broken hearts. She had a broken heart, even though she tried to deny it, and now it seemed like love and goodness had made the full circle back to her, offering the warmth and security of a new home and a new family. "I didn't love people," she said to herself, then looked up. "Do...do I have to change for it?"

"Mara?" The bathroom door flew open, and Stitch burst through, her eyes wide with concern. "You still here?"

Fox started, then gasped and put both hands to her belly as she stared at the girl in shock. "What happened to you?"

Mara jerked away from her, quickly wiping her eyes as she turned away. "That's Stitch. Logan's daughter..." She bit her lip and tried to calm down, wiping her face on her borrowed T-shirt. "Yeah, I'm ok, Stitch. I'll be out in a minute."

"That ain't Logan's daughter," said Fox, her eyes still wide in amazement. "That's Logan."

"No, she ain't," growled Mara. "Stitch, if Jubal's worryin' could ya tell 'im I'm ok? Just got some cramps."

The younger girl looked back and forth between the two in the chairs, then shook her head. "I'm a clone. 'N Jubes' sick..." With that she spun and fled, the door banging against the wall with the force of her passing.

Mara gasped, then looked at Fox pleadingly before she leapt to her feet and ran out as well. She could see Creed leaning over the table as she neared it, his hand on Jubal's shoulder as the teen's dark head lay on the table. Both guys looked up as she slid to a stop beside them, breathing heavily from exertion and worry.

"Jubal? What happened? What's wrong?" she said fearfully, looking at him and wincing at his pallor, barely aware of Fox slowly following her.

"Nothin," he scowled at Stitch, who was leaning over the back of the booth behind Creed. "I'm fine."

"What happened?" Mara looked at Creed.

"'E got worried 'bout ya, then 'e turned green 'n put 'is head down." The big blond man frowned at the boy in question with concern.

"I'm fine!" growled Jubal, then gulped and turned sickly pale again. "Here comes our grub."

"Don't look at it," Mara said quickly, putting her hand on his shoulder and looking at Creed again. "Can you ask them to put it on that other table till he's feeling better?"

"Mara, ya gotta eat," said Jubal, blinking and resting his forehead on his fist. "We gotcha raw salmon... Oh $#$&!"

Mara stepped back as he pushed past her and headed for the bathrooms, then stared after him as Creed went too, his warning glance telling her not to follow. "I need to..." She stopped and looked at Stitch as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "He can't block feelings, can he?"

"His shields're pretty good," said the younger girl, also looking after them in concern. "Chuck can get past 'em, but I don't think just random feelin's could."

"No. I mean, like, he can't actually block other people's feelings if he wants to, to keep them from feeling hurt, or sick?" said Mara impatiently.

Stitch turned and frowned at her. "I dunno. He's not that strong, 'n he don't use it very much."

"Hey, Blue," came Fox's tense voice. "Mind if I sit? The kid's got her foot in my hip..."

Mara straightened to see her new friend standing with gritted teeth and narrowed eyes, both hands rubbing her swollen belly.

"I'm sorry!" she said, jumping away from the seat and helping Fox into it. "Take it easy..."

"Ma?" One of the little boys who'd been playing on the stage ran over, his piercing blue eyes full of concern under his unruly mop of red curls.

"Get yer old man," gasped Fox, squeezing her eyes shut with a growl.

"Okay!" He turned and raced for the kitchen, weaving around Tink and a clear girl with a curling tail as they stood talking in the middle of the path.

"You need something?" asked Mara worriedly. "A drink? Doctor?"

"'Scuse me," said a man's voice from behind her as a hand gently pushed her aside, then a lean, good-looking guy with brown hair and the same eyes as the little boy's set a red-haired baby girl on the table and went to one knee to lay his face against Fox's belly and croon lovingly. The red-haired woman sighed in relief, then looked down at him with shining eyes and ran her fingers through his hair as the baby girl growled jealously.

Mara watched in surprise, then realized that she didn't see Goldie and that the amber-haired baby hadn't been in Creed's arms when he'd followed Jubal to the bathroom.

"Stitch?" she said, looking up. "Where's the little one?"

"On the stage with the other little kids," said the younger teen absently, her eyes fixed on the tableau before her.

Mara frowned and looked up there to see that three other children had joined the little boy who'd been there first, and that the biggest one, a girl with four insectoid legs and a smooth golden exoskeleton, was lugging an indifferent Goldie around as they all laughed and chased what looked like a wind-blown piece of paper.

"Oh, she's ok?" She checked on Fox and her husband, then turned back to Stitch. "I don't feel queasy. I did this morning, and now I don't."

Logan's daughter shrugged. "I dunno. Yer gonna haveta ask him." Then she sniffed and looked over her shoulder. "You want this fish?"

Mara's stomach rumbled painfully at the thought of fresh salmon, and despite herself her eyes took on a slightly greedy gleam. "Yeah...I do."

"You better," said Fox's husband, looking up at her with those husky dog eyes and a sight grin. "Was hard findin' one yer boyfriend liked, 'n then I hadda do it just like he said, or else."

Mara stared at him for a moment, then shook herself slightly. "Yeah." She reached back and took the plate as Stitch handed it to her, then moved over to the other side of the booth and looked down at the deep red fillets sitting on a bed of crushed ice. Her eyes lit up as she picked up a piece and ate it greedily. If Jubal was taking away her sickness somehow she'd enjoy it while it lasted before she berated him later. "This is great," she said, arching an eyebrow at Stitch as she grabbed another piece and bit into it.

Stitch looked back, chewing on something absently as she turned her eyes back toward the bathrooms.

Fox gave another sigh, then looked up contentedly. "This is Wolf, that's Matt, and the kid on the table's Logan. I was carrying her when we first met the old lady." She gave her husband a gentle push. "You'd better get back."

"Yeah," he said reluctantly, then ducked his head and looked up at her through his forelock, growling softly in his chest.

Fox pinked and grinned even as she smacked him upside the head and snarled. "Get lost!"

He laughed and snagged little Logan, then paused and sniffed. "That ain't you."

"What ain't me?" Fox sniffed too. "All I smell's the air freshener from the toi...let!" Her eyes went wide. "What the $#+&?"

"What?" said Mara, head snapping up as she dropped her fish. "What is it?"

"Who's that big guy?" asked Fox slowly, her eyes going spooked. "The one that went with your guy to the john."

Mara felt Stitch climb over the back of the booth to crouch on the seat next to her, but kept her eyes on Wolf's questioning gaze.

"That? That was Creed." She frowned. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Because he smells like me," said Fox softly, still looking frightened as her husband gently shoved her over and sat next to her.

"Smells like... You don't mean..." Mara stared, jaw dropping slightly before she closed it and took a deep breath, then glanced at Stitch. "Is she...?"

"Smells like it," said the fifteen-year-old calmly, snagging a piece of fish and sticking it in her mouth.

"Who is he?" asked Fox softly, resting her head on her hand as Wolf and her little girl and boy nuzzled close.

"He... He's a good guy," said Mara, her eyes dropping to her plate. She considered telling Fox that he'd been the one to make her cry, but decided that it would be mean. "He... He protects the kids. I guess he's just a big daddy who has one #&+$ of a reputation on the streets."

"Reputation?" asked Wolf. "What's his handle?"

Mara hesitated and glanced at Stitch, who scowled at her Loganishly. "He's Sabertooth."

"That's Sabertooth?" Wolf blinked. "What happened to him?"

"God." Stitch snickered and stole another piece of fish.

"+$#& off!" Jubal gently pushed Mara over on the slick seat and slid into the booth beside her, then put an arm around her shoulders and leaned back sullenly to glower at Creed.

The ex-con frowned down at him with an unhappy rumble, but then blinked and looked at Fox. "#$+&."

"You ok?" Mara looked at her fiancé worriedly and sighed as he shrugged, then turned back to the others as Stitch gleefully informed everyone of what they'd just found out about Fox.

"Yer Sabie's kid?" Jubal perked up and looked at the redhead with interest, then frowned. "How old're you?"

"Twenty one," said Fox absently, studying Creed as he closed his eyes and turned away with hunched shoulders.

Jubal blinked, but then swore and watched as the big man walked slowly toward the stage.

"That's Sabertooth?" Wolf repeated.

"Used to be," said Mara softly, watching him as well.

Fox made a soft sound and pushed at her husband, an odd, unfocused look in her eyes.

Wolf glanced at her, then gathered the children into his arms and let her out of the booth, rocking them absently as he watched her go after Creed.

Stitch sighed and climbed back over the back of the booth, then returned with three plates of rare steak.

Mara glanced at the girl, then took Jubal's hand. "Will they be ok?"

He shrugged, still watching as Fox caught up with Creed and put a hand on his arm, then put her arms around his waist as his shoulders shook slightly.

"Sure they will," said Wolf absently, setting his little ones down to run after their mother. "She's tough. This ain't gonna hurt 'er."

"Well he's not exactly leaping for joy either," Mara said dryly as she watched the youngest kids from the stage run over to the big man and attached themselves to his legs. The older girl carried Goldie over as the baby reached for him, chirping, "Dittydittydada!"

"How'd you feel if you realized your kid got dumped on the street and knew that once upon a time you wouldn'a gave a $#+&?" asked Jubal gruffly without taking his eyes from the scene.

"Yay, that's right, Sabie! Hug 'em!" cheered Stitch softly, bouncing on the seat as she leaned her elbows on the back of it. "Sweet!"

Jubal frowned and quirked an eyebrow, then shook his head and returned to his indifferent slouch.

Mara looked at him and frowned, reaching her fingers towards his before she pulled them back and absently put another piece of fish in her mouth.

"Hey, Wolf! You cookin' or what?" bellowed a big grey guy in a waiter's apron from over by the kitchen door.

Wolf started and snarled, his face creasing up in a horrendous scowl. "Yeah, yeah, Tank, shut up!"

"Hey, I know lotsa people that'd love this job, overlander." The big guy's yellow eyes narrowed.

"I know some that'd like you with ketchup 'n french fries, too," retorted Wolf, then turned apologetically to Mara and her family. "Sorry, guys. Gotta go."

"Don't start anything," the aquatic heard the clear waitress beg as he stalked toward the kitchen.

"Tank's an idiot," said Stitch happily. "Hey, Mara, this is good fish."

Jubal looked up with a scowl. "Eat yer steak 'n leave Mara's alone."

Stitch razzed him cheerfully and did so.

"You did do it, didn't you?" Mara scowled at him slightly and crossed her arms. "Why'd you take it, punk boy? I'm the only one who's supposed t' get sick right now."

Jubal gave her a bewildered look.

"I was sick this morning," she spelled it out slowly, scowl deepening. "You took away the feeling, and made yourself sick instead. Why?"

He blinked and looked down at the table, the usual stoney look in his eyes replaced by a flash of the boy she'd seen in the pit the night of the concert. "No idea what yer talkin' 'bout, darlin'."

"I'm not stupid," she said plainly, touching his hand without a second though. "I'm a mess, but I'm not stupid."

He flinched and sucked in a deep breath, then glanced at her pleadingly. "Just drop it, chica."

"Alright." She sighed, dropping his hand and looking down at her own as she folded them in her lap. "But please don't do it again. It's not that bad for me."

He reached out and gently recaptured her hand. "I said I'd help you."

Mara looked up at him with wide eyes, seeing that serious look on his face again. "Not by hurting yourself. I don't need help with that...this is stuff I can deal with," she said, shaking her head.

"I ain't hurtin' myself," he said softly, his eyes going to his plate.

"He never eats anyway," said Stitch, happily shoving aside her empty one and starting on Creed's.

"Whatever." Jubal reluctantly let go of Mara and picked up his fork and knife.

She watched him for a moment, then slowly nodded, remembering how thin he'd been when Hank had uncovered his chest in the medlab.

"Thank you though," she muttered, going back to her own meal.

They ate in a silence broken only by a huge belch and an absent apology from Stitch.

Then Jubal pushed away his half-filled plate and ran a hand over his hair as he flagged Tink down. "Gimme another Bull. You guys want anythin' else?" He turned to look at Mara, who was mildly contesting the right to the last bit of rare beef on Creed's plate with Stitch.

"Oh, um, just another water for me," she said, looking up with a slight grin, which vanished as the beef made a disappearing act of its own with the help of Stitch. "Huh. Thanks a lot." She rolled her eyes at the grinning girl.

Jubal pushed his plate in front of her and leaned forward to look at his honorary sister. "Knock it off, yer gonna puke."

She stuck her tongue out at him and reached for the food in front of Mara. "Gimme milk."

Jubal turned back to Tink. "Ya got that?"

The tiny blond nodded, then winced and shivered as her filmy skirt suddenly swirled around her legs. Mara caught the scent of the sea.

Her eyes widened as she breathed in the sweet taste, then looked around for the source, suddenly feeling homesick for her dolphin family.

"Hey, Mistral," said Stitch as Tink flew away. "Y' gonna sit 'n visit?"

There was a far-off sound of seagulls crying as the cool breeze swirled around them and gently pulled at their hair and clothing, then a murmur as it began to swirl in a miniature whirlwind at the end of the table. As they watched the funnel became tinged with a misty blue-grey and tightened till a tiny human form stood there. At first glance Mara thought it was a child, but then she saw the ages reflected in those enormous sea grey eyes and changed her mind. Small and frail in appearance though it may be, this was no child.

The girl cocked her head, misty hair swirling in the slight breeze that surrounded her, then climbed up on the empty side of the booth and leaned her elbows companionably on the table.

"You were on the bar before," said Mara, staring at her. "You come from the ocean?"

Mistral looked up at her sadly and shrugged one thin shoulder.

"She don't know," said Stitch. "She's ben here since before this place was Hell."

"Oh." Mara blinked and felt slightly sorry for the girl. Then she looked at Stitch. "She a mute?"

"She talks when she's wind." The younger teen offered the tiny sprite a piece of potato and smiled as Mistral climbed up on the table to get it. "'R makes noise, anyhow."

Mistral munched the treat, looking at Mara thoughtfully with those huge eyes, then suddenly swirled away in a gust of salt breeze and far-away laughter.

Jubal snorted and shook his head, then quirked an eyebrow at Fox as she walked over and carefully slid into the place that the wind-girl had vacated.

"You ok?" asked Mara, frowning slightly as she looked over at her new friend.

"Little stunned." Fox rubbed her belly and leaned out a bit to look toward the stage. "Never had family before I married Wolf. Just the Army. They're good, but they're just other kids."

"Meep!" Stitch ducked as Mistral swooped low overhead, laughing gaily.

Mara's skin rose into goosebumps as she nodded to Fox. She'd never gone long without a family herself, even if it wasn't her own species, but she understood the feeling of being alone, then found all of a sudden. "So you ain't mad at him?"

"Mad for what?" The older girl cocked her head and paused her reach toward Jubal's plate.

Mara pushed it towards her and shrugged. "I dunno. I guess some people just get mad when their parents were never around."

Fox shrugged back. "Never even knew kids were supposed ta have parents till I hit teenage. By then I was busy tryin' t' convince Wolf ta be one." She glanced up as Mistral made another pass. "She's feelin' good."

Mara glanced over the back of the booth and saw Creed laying on the stage with the children tumbling and jumping all over him, then frowned and sat back in her seat, biting her lip and imagining what growing up without parents would have been like. Easier in the long-run, maybe. With her parents, anyway.

Tink landed lightly by the end of the table and set the drinks down, pushing a large cup of something brown and fragrant toward Fox before she shot straight up in the air to avoid a rush by Mistral.

The sea breeze chortled and started whistling Dixie, then swirled back into human form on the seat next to Fox and pointed questioningly toward the potato on her plate.

Fox nodded and sipped her drink, her own eyes going toward the stage. "I wanna keep 'im now, though. What's hurtin' him?"

"He let people in and then lost 'em," said Mara, not daring to look at Jubal.

"Lost 'em?" asked Fox, looking at her quizzically as Stitch made a grab for Jubal's Red Bull and got growled at.

"They died," Mara said stiffly.

"You don't know that!" protested Stitch sharply as Jubal suddenly stood and headed toward the bathrooms.

Mara stared straight ahead of her towards the far wall as her face took on almost a sneer. She neither moved to try and comfort the girl, nor to follow Jubal. "Not all of 'em, but he wasn't too happy about Logan, was he? It doesn't matter anyway, they're not here and it's hurting him. That's all there is to it."

From the corner of her eye she saw Fox freeze and look at her with wide eyes.

"Logan's dead?" came the soft, disbelieving whisper.

"Yeah," said Mara, her voice husky before she coughed and glowered at the wall. "Don't ask me how. I was in the ocean still."

Fox glanced over her shoulders toward the bathrooms, then closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on her fist. "Oh man... Who were the other ones?"

"I don't know. Sturmjäger, that Juggernaut guy. I don't know who else," said Mara, memory of her glimpses of them flashing behind her aqua-blue eyes.

"Sturmjäger?" Suspicion flashed behind Fox's.

"Brownie," said Stitch softly. "She's engaged ta Sabie."

"She..." Fox looked toward her father again, then smirked. "Sounds like the kinda ma I could live with..." Then she sobered again. "Sheesh."

Mara didn't respond, instead allowing herself to look after Jubal and suddenly worrying about him as she pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on one as she tried to convince herself not to go check on him. Then she started and bruised her shins on the edge of the table as a garishly-dressed figure dropped from the ceiling and turned two wide white eye-patches toward her.

"We think you need to visit the little boy's room," it said in a strange, deep voice.

"Slime?" Stitch crawled forward onto the table in concern. "What's wrong? Is it Jubes?"

The creature seemed to look at her, then turned back to Mara. "We think you should hurry. Little Wolvie should stay here."

Mara didn't question it, instead jumping to her feet and walking briskly towards the bathrooms, knocking once before she entered and called Jubal's name. Her heart gave a thud in her chest as she saw him on the counter, head bowed onto his drawn up knees. "Jubes?" she said again, approaching hesitantly. He gave no sign that he'd heard her and she frowned and gently slid up to sit beside him. "Jubes?"

His shoulders tensed, but didn't block her out.

Mara shivered to herself, then reached out a shaking hand and gently rubbed his back. "Jubal? Please say something, I need t' know you're still here."

The fingers of the hand that she could see twitched slightly, but he gave no other response.

"Jubal," she whispered, afraid now as she moved closer. "Jubal, don't leave me here, please! Don't shut everything out. It just postpones the pain for when you can't. C'mon..." She winced as his hand moved and caught hers in a painful grip, as though he were clinging to a lifeline.

"It's ok," she said, squeezing back as well as she could. "Jubal, it's gonna be...tolerable. If you let it." She leaned against him, her arm going around his shoulders as she lay her head on his back and sighed, breathing in the scent of his cologne. Then her eyes flew open as she suddenly found herself drowning in despair with no escape, hounded on all sides by things that reminded her of her pain, and so weary and sick of fighting that just the thought of lifting her head to look at one that she was coming to love was beyond her. She started to shake, realizing dimly that this was how Jubal felt.

She hugged him to her, remembering how she'd felt all those years ago as she started to shrink into a shallow depression of her own. Then she rebounded instinctively and pushed away the hope for death, her grip tightening around him slightly.

"I know," she said, keeping herself from letting out a sob with what will-power she had left. "I know, I know it's bad."

She saw Creed in her mind, weeping as Jubal couldn't weep, then standing in this very bathroom and sternly telling the dark-haired teen that he'd better start taking care of himself or he wouldn't be there to care for Mara and the baby, and gasped at the rush of guilt and the flutter of iron resolve that came with the image. She felt his determination to care for her and his love for their unborn child, and saw it balance with his terror at the thought of being responsible for someone.

Then she felt a wash of shame and embarrassment at showing her all this and felt the mental link close off with a nearly audible snap, leaving her alone in her mind once more.

"Don't," she said, jaw dropping at the onrush of information. "Don't be ashamed...you don't think I haven't hated the way I've acted, do ya? Do you know how much I let show to you n' other people that I wish I hadn't? I hugged Creed, dangit! But it all felt better than keeping it inside, except maybe the hug..."

He squeezed her hand, then lifted his head and stared blankly at the row of stalls for a moment before slipping down from the counter and gently pulling her along with him. "We better git Stitch back t' class."

Mara frowned at him, but said nothing as he lead her back out to the main room, so numb from his sharing that she barely noticed that Creed was still nearly lost beneath a pile of youngsters, or that Stitch had pinned Tank down and was twisting his arm with a rather frightening expression on her face.

She blinked as Jubal stopped and put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, darlin'. I shouldn'a done that," he murmured over the sound of Tank's grunts of pain.

"No, you should've done it a long time ago," Mara muttered back, ducking her head slightly. "Don't stop. Now can you stop Stitch from ripping waiter boy's arms off?"

He put his hands on her shoulders and studied her face for a moment, eyes grave behind his forelock, then nodded and turned away, smirk back in place.

Mara watched him go, then turned and walked over to Fox, who looked half asleep. "You alright, girl?"

"Hmm?" The redhead looked up dozily. "Just beat. Baby don't let me sleep anymore. How's your guy?"

"Ok," mumbled Mara, sinking into the booth across from her and then looking at her stomach wearily. "Why don't you go home then, if you're tired?"

"Wolf wants me where he can see me," said Fox, leaning back with a soft groan. "'N it's easier ta take care'a the kids here."

"Oh," said Mara. "Is it...is it really hard? Being pregnant and having a kid and all that?"

"Nah." Fox rested her head against the back of the booth and shook it with a grin. "Only hard part's arguin' with the girls before they come out."

"Oh," Mara said again, folding her arms over her stomach insecurely. "What about babies?"

"What about 'em?" asked Fox, watching Slime crawl around above them.

"Is it...is it hard?" Mara tried to shrug indifferently.

"Takin' care'a 'em? Only if they're sick, 'er you ain't the person they wanna be with." Fox sniffed, then gave her a piercing look.

"What?" Mara shrank back slightly and automatically scowling at her. "It was only a question."

Fox nodded, her eyes taking on a glint of humor before she turned and started watching something invisible walk past.

Mara frowned and then realized the woman was just distractible, as she herself often was when she was tired.

"Why don't you ask someone to watch the kids out here while Wolf works and you go sleep?" she said. "I mean, sure he wants to watch you, but shouldn't you sleep when you can?"

"Who'd watch 'em?" Fox turned her gaze toward the stage watchfully, as though worried that someone would steal one of the children who squealed so joyfully as they pummeled Creed.

"I dunno," said Mara. "Someone at the mansion, maybe. If you asked."

Fox snorted. "X-Men got better things t' do than watch little street rats."

"Who you callin' street rats?" Jubal frowned at her as he gently shoved Mara over and sat next to her.

"Her kids," said Mara, drawing closer to him impulsively. "Is there anyone at the mansion who'd be able to watch them for a little bit while she sleeps? She's beat."

His eyes glinted as though contesting the term, but all he did was shrug. "What's wrong with how the old man's doin'?"

"He's working," Mara said pointedly.

Jubal quirked an eyebrow and gestured toward the stage with his thumb, and she realized who he meant.

Fox turned her cat look to him and studied him, totally unfazed as he returned the regard coldly.

Mara sighed, then ignored their silent interaction. "Well, there's one option. I know public opinion about ex-cons watching kids, but Creed sort of defies everything that should be true. I bet he'd do it."

Fox and Jubal both winced and ducked as a deep roar came from the stage, followed by childish squeals of delight and a startled call from somewhere further down the row of booths.

Mara cringed, then shrugged helplessly. "See? He likes them alright."

"What's going on?" asked Gator's groggy voice as he came through the door behind the bar, his baby son cradled on one brawny arm.

Mara blinked, then stared at the little dark-haired human baby who no way resembled his scaly parents.

Gator bent his head to listen to the clear girl's explanation, then nodded and looked around, testing the air with his tongue. He tensed slightly as Creed roared again, but then turned toward Mara and Jubal. "Hey, guys! Good to see you up 'n around."

"Hi, Gator," returned Mara, looking down at the table and wishing Fox or Jubal would blink, or at least stop looking ready to pounce on each other. "How's the kid?"

The big Morlock walked around the bar and came over to the table, where he hunkered down to be at her level. "He's okay. Just woke up when that roar went off. How're you doin'?"

Mara stared at the child as he stared brightly back and licked his father's arm, then remembered her criticism of Jubal and Fox and stopped at once. "I'm ok," she said, shrugging one shoulder and looking back at the table, avoiding Gator's eyes too. "You?"

"Pretty good," he said absently, looking at Fox. "Hey, Fox. You're beat. Why don't you put the kids in the nursery 'n catch some Zs?"

"Nursery?" She blinked and turned to give him a blank look.

"Yeah. We've got a place for kids to stay while their parent's're busy. You can just crash in the booth if you want." Gator rubbed Joey's back as the baby gave a little chuckle.

Fox's eyes widened slightly. "I didn't know about it. Is there somebody to watch 'em?"

"Yeah, Neko Lynn's up there today." Gator looked toward the stage as Creed gave a yelp of surprise. "I think Frankie needs a nap anyhow."

Fox leaned out to look, then groaned. "That kid and his biting."

"See? Told you there was a way," said Mara somewhat smugly.

Fox gave her a warm smile, then carefully slid out of the booth and waddled slowly toward the stage.

"Jubes?" Mara turned and nudged him slightly as he stared up at Slime, still not having said so much as 'hello' to their host.

"Eh?" He blinked and frowned at her.

"Gator man's here, with kid. Gonna say hi?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

His frown deepened slightly, but then he shrugged and looked at his friend indifferently. "Hey. How's life?"

Gator's shoulders slumped slightly and his golden eyes darkened. "It's cool. You gonna come to the concert tonight? It's Sewer Things."

Jubal shook his head. "Proly not. Got other stuff t' do."

Gator looked away, then back. "Alright, man. I'll see you whenever, then." He glanced down at his son, then reached over and gave Mara's hand a quick pat before getting to his feet and walking back to the door behind the bar.

"What other stuff? Anything important?" asked Mara, frowning at Jubal slightly.

His shoulders bowed with exhaustion and he lay his head on the table as Creed came over and looked down at them, Goldie leaning back comfortably in the crook of one arm.

"We better be gettin' back," said the big mutant gruffly. "Stitch's got school. Jubes?"

Mara's face softened as she gently put an arm around her fiancé.

"You're right, you should go home n' get some sleep," she said in a hushed voice.

He tensed at the mention of sleep, but then groaned faintly and nodded without lifting his head.

Mara looked up at Creed and saw what looked like fear in his eyes as he sniffed and looked down at her fiancé.

Then he growled in his chest and stepped back. "Come on, kid. Let's get goin'."

Jubal lifted his head and blinked, then scowled and scrubbed his face before getting up and gently pulling Mara up after him. "You wanna drive?"

Creed frowned at him, the concern now open in his face, then bellowed for Stitch.

"She's already in the truck," said Jubal. "Sent 'er out there t' cool down after she tried breakin' Tank's arm."

Creed shook his head with another growl, then turned and led the way outside.

"Jubal, you feeling ok?" asked Mara in a low voice, looking at him worriedly as they walked behind the older man. "You're not taking away the sick feelings again, are you?"

He looked at her blankly, then closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head as though to clear it, staggering slightly as he did so and bumping into her.

"Whoa," she gasped, catching him with both arms. "Jubal, what's wrong?"

"Here." Creed turned and pulled her away, then thrust Goldie into her grasp and put his arm around Jubal as the dark-haired teen sagged. "He's beat."

Mara bit her lip, cringing inwardly as the tiny girl in the pink fuzzy coat wrapped warm arms around her neck and snuggled under her chin. But her worry for Jubal outweighed her dislike of handling children and she hurried after Creed as he supported him to the truck.

The big man was all but carrying his young friend by the time they reached the door that Stitch had thrown open. Jubal's head was bowed, and his face kept alternating between fierce concentration, angry embarrassment, and total blankness.

"Here." Creed gently stuffed him into the back seat. "He ain't gonna be able t' sit. Lay 'em on the floor 'n wrap 'im in some'a Logan's old blankets."

"You better drive careful," growled Stitch as she obeyed.

Creed growled back, a deep warning sound that made Jubal gasp a curse and sent a chill down Mara's back even though she knew that the older man was only responding from his own worry.

"Dangit," he said gruffly. "Easy, kid. It's just me, Sabie."

Mara saw Jubal look up at him disorientedly, then lay back in the cocoon of worn afghans and close his eyes.

"Okay," said Creed. "Stitch, yer in the front. Mara, don't kick the kid on yer way in. Here, gimme Goldie."

Mara tried, but the baby tightened the grip around her neck and gave a protesting whine. She tried to pry the girl off, but the infant's grip held impossibly strong, and when she turned her head and leaned back slightly she saw two sad amber eyes staring back at her.

"She won't let go." The water girl blinked back her own tears and looked to Creed for help.

"I see that," he said softly, his voice coming out rough. "Think y' remind 'er 'a 'er mama." He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with a knuckle, then reached into the truck and came back with the stuffed lion. "Hey, baby. Want yer kitty?"

Goldie lay her head against Mara's shoulder again, making a little sad sound as her arms wrapped more firmly around the aqua teen's neck.

Mara shuddered, then shook her head at Creed.

"I can hold her," she said, getting into the truck and noiselessly climbing into the back, holding Goldie with one arm and flipping one jumpseat up so she could settle next to Jubal in the narrow space. She took his hand with her free one and squeezed it slightly, then watched him to make sure he was breathing alright and looked more or less comfortable. She frowned as Creed carefully tucked them in, then started as Goldie sighed and cuddled between them, murmuring softly in what sounded like broken German. Jubal sighed too and turned his face toward her warmth, but didn't wake.

Mara blinked back her emotions, sighing as she shut off the part of her that felt too much, then closed her eyes as the scent of her first real friend tickled her senses, the old cigar smoke that was laced into the fibers of everything in the truck. Lulled by combined warmth of Jubal and Goldie, and with the old blankets pulled up around all three of them, she soon found herself slipping into a sweet, dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Mara opened her eyes and blinked disorientedly, then leaned back to look at Jubal's sleeping face, becoming aware of his arms around her and of a small body generating great heat between them.

She sighed and lifted her head to see the clock, dimly realizing she'd slept through the night and not only missed seeing Donnie, but also the part where she and the others had been removed from the truck and tucked neatly into Jubal's bed. Goldie was clutching an empty bottle in one hand and Mara's shirt in the other.

The tall aquatic sighed as her bladder sent out urgent danger signals. She would rather have stayed in the arms of her husband-to-be for much, much longer, but the urge was nearly unbearable. As carefully as she could she untangled herself from the others, finally slipping out of her T-shirt and putting Goldie to rest on Jubal's chest, then grabbing his jacket to cover her top and glancing at Stitch, who was sprawled across the foot of the bed, before she turned for the bathroom.

She blinked at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands, thinking of the most peaceful night she'd had since the last night she'd spent with her family pod back in the ocean. She'd slept in Jubal's arms, with Goldie tucked between them, and nothing had disturbed any of them or hurt anyone in the slightest. On the contrary, she was feeling the most relaxed she'd been since arriving at the mansion, and Jubal's face had been, for the first time since she'd known him, peaceful and relaxed, free of the pain and sadness he'd shown her the day before. Maybe this was how Fox felt when she woke up? She'd seemed to like it when she was with her family. Did you always feel this good when you woke up in the arms of the one you loved? Mara hoped so, this was as glorious as those warm summer days when the sunlight fell through the salt water in warm, sweeping rays of greenish light and woke her and the other dolphins gently and lovingly.

A soft groan from the bedroom pulled her back into the present as she realized that she needed to hurry and get another shirt before anyone else woke up.

"Mara?" called Jubal, sounding half-asleep.

"#$+&." She sighed, pulling the jacket shut as she glanced around the slightly open door, then pausing as she caught sight of his sleepy blue eyes and tousled hair and the way he held Goldie close with one arm. She stared for a moment at how cute and lovable he looked as he gazed back groggily, then withdrew. "Hey...Jubes, can you not look for a moment? Goldie stole my shirt and I didn't get a chance to grab another yet."

"K, not looking," he said, voice still thick with sleep. Then he yawned and sighed. "Ya comin' back t' bed? Too $#+& early t' get up yet."

"Oh #$+&! I'm late for breakfast!" There came the sound of Stitch hitting the door and throwing it open, then footsteps galloping down the hall.

"Still not looking, but the door's open," said Jubal.

Mara looked out again to see him laying on his back with one arm over his eyes, his breathing fading back toward sleep. She hurried over and closed the door, then grabbed another shirt out of the drawer before sliding out of the jacket and putting it on top of the dresser. Feeling decent once again, she turned and cracked a grin at his posture. "Ok, I'm good." She yawned slightly as she put a knee on the bed, then groaned softly as she crawled up and snuggled next to him.

He smiled and turned toward her without waking, putting his arm around her shoulders as Goldie whimpered and wriggled slightly before settling down with a contented sigh.

Mara sighed herself, one arm reaching over the babe and holding both she and Jubal in a one armed embrace as she contently realized that they could perhaps do the same thing with their own child in less than half a year. The fact that this didn't pang the chords of automatic fear and anger inside her made her eyebrows raise slightly, but soon she was too immersed in the pure bliss of the moment to care much. She was floating toward sleep when a knock made Jubal start and mutter a curse.

"Wake, young Master Lee!" called Hank's jovial voice. "'Tis time for you to partake of the sumptuous fare set out for breaking the fast!"

"If ya don't shuddup 'n &+$# off I'm gonna break more'n a fast," growled Jubal.

"Come now. You must needs eat," commanded Hank sternly. "I am not above forcing entry to your room to be sure you do it."

Jubal cursed and threw his pillow at the door, then sat up and looked down at Mara and Goldie sadly. "Whatever, &+$#."

Mara turned over, unhappy with being disturbed and vowing to shave off Hank's head fur and hair. "Guess we'd better go then," she mumbled, sighing and pulling herself up as well.

Jubal rolled backward and landed on his feet, only to stumble and go to one knee, his face paling as he caught himself on the side of the bed.

"Jubes!" gasped Mara, clutching Goldie as she scrambled over and crouched next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You ok?"

"Jubal?" The door opened and the blue doctor came in, his golden eyes dark with concern.

Jubal's nose wrinkled in a snarl, but then he squeezed his eyes shut and leaned his head against Mara's shoulder for a moment before standing and smirking at Hank. "&+$# off, fuzz brain."

Hank regarded him narrowly for a moment, then sighed and turned away. "Haste, young Wolverine."

"Bite me." Jubal turned to look down at Mara and offered her his hand.

"You shouldn't show off like that 'till you're all better," she said, smirking slightly as he helped her up, then looking at the baby on her arm. "I mean, I know she's cute, but she still doesn't care who's best at what. Except maybe hugs and giving food."

Jubal just snorted, his smirk still firmly in place as he lead her out of the room and down the hall.

The kitchen was in a minor riot when they entered, the smell of fragrant bacon, eggs, waffles, and something smokey, salty, and rich filling the air. Mara's stomach told her she was neither sick nor terribly hungry, but she joined the orderly line that Ruh was browbeating everyone into and watched Jubal go to a cupboard and then the fridge and take out a box of Twinkies and a bottle of Jolt. She arched an eyebrow and looked around, spotting Stitch on Will's shoulder and feeling a flash of embarrassment when she saw Donnie two people in front of her, his eyes on the counter as he looked over the head of a skinny kid with a purple mohawk and a funny-looking wheelchair. She took a plate when her turn came and put an egg and a couple slices of bacon on it, then looked up as big hands gently scooped the sleeping baby from her other arm. She let go automatically, but then felt lonely and cold. Scowling jealously, she watched as Creed cuddled Goldie, then reminded herself that she didn't like kids and forced herself to turn away with a shrug of indifference.

"My stars and garters, you're still wearing the cast?" Hank stopped next to her and looked down in dismay.

She gave him a fierce look and shrugged, glancing around the rapidly emptying kitchen as she moved a small step away from him. "What of it, hair ball?"

"Here, allow me to rectify the situation." He picked up a kitchen knife.

"Hank! Put that down ya big dope!" barked Ruh. "What's Jeany said 'bout you usin' the kitchen tools fer medical stuff?"

"This will be but the work of a moment," said the blue doctor absently, grabbing Mara's hand and making a quick pass with the knife. "There. Thou'rt free, fair water maid."

She flexed her suddenly free hand, then rared back and used it to land a right hook to his jaw.

"Grab me like that again and you won't wake up for a week," she snarled, backing off quickly and glowering at him.

He gave a startled growl, then put a hand to his jaw, his expression suddenly making her feel as though she'd belted a teddy bear.

"Yeah. 'N I'll make sure 'a it," said Jubal angrily from behind her.

"Calm down, you two." Ruh sighed, then looked toward the door. "Hey, Bets, welcome t' paradise."

"If you weren't already dead I'd hurt you for that," said the Asian woman sourly, then looked hopefully at Mara. "Would you be able to hold one of the girls while I fill my plate?"

The aquatic blinked and peered at the twin babies, then set her jaw and nodded, grabbing the nearer one carefully and looking down at the tiny face and fuzzy wings with a slightly awed expression.

"That's Maeve, she's the quieter one," said Betsy, moving a plate next to the food platters and then blinking as Jubal came over and gently pushed she and Mara toward the table.

"Go siddown, Bets, I'll get yer grub," he said gruffly.

"Why thank you, Jubal, you're a luv." Betsy beamed, then frowned at the box of Twinkies that sat next to the bottle of Jolt on the island. "Oh dear, is he trying to make Hank lose his mind?"

"Huh?" Mara glanced up from the sleeping baby and blinked at her absently.

Betsy took the Twinkies and slipped them onto the seat of the chair next to her, then sat demurely and shot a smirk at Hank as the dug through the cupboard and muttered puzzledly about ambrosia. "Perhaps he'll think he's eaten them all and go to his stash in the lab."

Mara arched an eyebrow, then shook her head and looked back down at baby Maeve, who was chuckling in her sleep, little mouth twitching at one corner.

Jubal came and set a full plate in front of Betsy, then frowned toward his pop and looked quizzically at Hank as the blue man wandered out of the room, arguing with Ruh.

"Sit," said Mara, looking up at him in concern.

He quirked an eyebrow at her, but grabbed the Jolt and complied, leaning his elbows on the table and zoning out as he unscrewed the lid and took a swig.

"You never stop drinking that stuff, do ya?" She smirked slightly as she cocked her head and studied the baby in her arms, frowning as she realized that she felt none of her usual fear and that for once in her life the charm that all infants possessed seemed to be working on her.

"Huh?" he said absently, then started and scowled up at Creed as the older man set a bowl of oatmeal, milk, and chocolate chips in front of him.

"Eat it," growled Creed, then turned away and left the room.

Jubal snorted and pushed it aside, then gave Betsy a warning frown as she pushed it back.

"You are going to eat that, Jubal Lee, if I have to sit here all day and make sure," said the new mother firmly.

Mara grinned and nudged him gently with one elbow, then suddenly started and looked down as she felt a sharp thump inside her belly, right near where Maeve was resting.

Her fiancé scowled at her, then blinked. "What's wrong?"

"I...I dunno," she said, eyes huge as she watched Maeve squirm and snuggle closer.

"Your baby is saying hello." Betsy smiled, then shot Jubal a stern look. "Eat!"

"Sayin' hello?" Mara repeated. "Oh... Will he be doin' that again?"

"Doin' what?" Jubal pushed the oatmeal away again and slipped his hand between Maeve and Mara's belly. "Is he kickin'?"

"Yeah, I guess. Once," said Mara, still unnerved but feeling giddy as he touched her stomach. She looked up at his face, then bit back a laugh and a sob when she saw the mature, loving man she'd glimpsed before, partially obscured underneath a face of boyish wonder as he looked down at her middle.

Then her eyes widened as she distinctly felt something move inside her, gently pushing against Jubal's hand and making what could only be a snuggling motion before giving another sharp little tap.

"Woah!" breathed Jubal, his eyes going wide. "Holy... Wow!"

"I..." Mara shivered as she suddenly fully realized that the baby inside her was actually real...actually...there.

Then Jubal put his head down on the table and began to cry silently but stormily.

"Oh dear." Betsy gently took Maeve back, her face creasing in sympathy and concern.

"Jubes!" exclaimed Mara, her heart sinking and her hands starting to shake as she reached over and touched his shoulder.

-Shh, luv, it's alright,- whispered Betsy in her mind. -Right now any sort of feeling makes him cry. He'd be happy if he could.-

-That ain't right,- said Mara, biting her lip as she put her head on his shoulder and stared into space.

-No,- said Betsy softly. -It's not. But we have to take him as he is, poor pet.-

Mara closed her eyes and nuzzled against Jubal's T-shirt, feeling him start and begin to weep harder as their unborn gave him a decided whack in the side.

-My baby,- she heard as the sobs rocked her. -My kid. MINE. Mine.-

-I thought it would help you to see that,- thought Betsy apologetically.

"He is yours, Jubes," said Mara softly, wishing fervently that there was some way she could take the pain away for him.

"Eat yer bl...aww crud." Creed hurried on past the door and disappeared, Goldie looking back over his shoulder in surprise.

Betsy snorted, then looked down at her tiny daughters and crooned softly.

Jubal sniffed, then gently shrugged his shoulder to let Mara know he wanted to move and sat up. "#$&," he growled under his breath, wiping his face on his sleeve.

She looked at him, then down and moved away from him, arms wrapping over her belly subconsciously as she tried to bite back her worry and frustration with him.

"Don't run away," he murmured gruffly, reaching out and pulling her close.

"Eat your stupid oatmeal!" she snapped. "What's the big fuss anyway?"

She felt him grimace and sigh, then felt his arm sneak around her waist, his hand coming to rest on her belly as the other pulled the bowl close and began to spoon porridge into his mouth. Their baby greeted the hand like a long-lost friend, then started what felt like a martial arts kata against it.

"Ugh," she said, looking away from him. "I don't run away. I walk with purpose. Hey, Betsy, d'ya need any help?"

"Are you sure you want to hold a baby right now, luv?" asked the older woman softly.

"Yeah," said Mara, her eyes automatically drawn to little Maeve, who was awake and looking around with wide black eyes. "Gimme."

Betsy passed the little one over with slight difficulty, then opened her shirt and set the other baby to the breast before attacking her breakfast like a starving wolf. -He's not angry at you, luv.-

-I don't know,- replied Mara, staring at the feeding infant before blushing profusely and sneaking a glance at Jubal.

-He's used to responding to that sort of growling.- Betsy looked down and adjusted her shirt a little more modestly. "Sorry."

Jubal sighed and glanced at Mara, then shoved the half-empty bowl away and offered her a slightly teasing smirk.

"Well," she sighed, looking at it and then at him. "At least you ate something. Next time, if you don't finish the bowl I'll dump it over your head."

He snorted softly and took a long pull at the bottle of pop, then leaned back and took a cigar out of his pocket, all without taking his hand from her belly.

"Don't you light that in here," she said, then made a face at her tone and sighed, bowing her head to the baby.

He snorted again. "Eat yer breakfast, darlin'."

"OW!" Betsy reached down and lifted the baby she held. "You are MUCH too young to be biting mother! You'll be on the bottle before you fledge if you keep that up, young lady!"

Mara winced slightly, then sighed as she felt her own baby shift against Jubal's hand, seeming calmer after his kicking barrage. She grabbed a piece of bacon and stuck it in her mouth, then shook her head. "Of all people to be tellin' someone else to eat. Huh."

He took another pull from the bottle, then leaned over and pecked her on the cheek before sticking the cigar in his mouth and chewing it absently.

"Can't you give Charles a break?" Betsy frowned at him as she set her baby against her shoulder and patted her back. "It's bad enough seeing you smoking the disgusting things whenever you're outside."

Mara almost choked on her bacon, then huffed and shrugged, finishing the strip and making a face at Maeve which earned her a wide-eyed look.

Jubal scowled and stuck the cigar back into his pocket, then turned back to her, unconsciously rubbing her belly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." She picked up another piece of bacon and chewed on one end thoughtfully.

He quirked an eyebrow at her, then set down the pop bottle and reached under the table toward the Twinkie box, only to stop with a curse and push his chair back. "I'll see ya later, darlin'."

"Alright. You going anywhere special?" She looked up, slightly confused by his sudden urgency to leave.

"Chuck wants t' talk ta me," he growled, turning toward the door, then stopped and gave her another quick peck on the forehead before striding from the room.

"He must care for you very much," said Betsy softly, taking little Maeve back and cuddling her close before she pushed her chair back and stood.

Mara didn't hear, instead gazing after him and remembering how his hand had felt on her stomach even as the cooler air took away the warmth that it had left.

"Mara?" The older woman's voice sounded amused. "Hello?"

Mara's gaze snapped back and she felt the back of her neck heat up as she looked down and realized that she'd lost her little visitor. "Um, sorry."

"It's alright." Betsy smiled down at her. "Would you be alright with taking my plate to the dishwasher? I need to go lay down. Maeve's not as strong a nurser as Dee and she's going to be wanting her kip pretty quickly."

"It's no problem." Mara pulled the empty plate toward her. "Go rest, I can clean up in here."

"Thanks." Betsy gave her a grateful grin and left, saying something to her babies as she went.

"Why not?" the water girl sighed to herself and took another bite of bacon, then stood and picked up the plates to take them over to the sink, finishing the bacon as she rinsed them off and absently wondering what Charles and Jubal could be meeting about. Then she reminded herself that she needed to find Donnie and talk to him.

"What're y' doin'?" came Creed's gruff voice from behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and saw him standing in the door with Goldie on one arm and Dandelion standing shyly beside him.

"That's my job," said the big blond man, then winced as Goldie squealed and held her arms out toward the water girl.

Mara winced too as her baby jumped at the sound, then dropped the plate carefully into the water and shrugged. "Betsy asked me to, she just went to go lay down. I've got it."

He shook his head and walked over to hand her Goldie. "Here, take this 'n bring Dandelion down t' the Danger Room. Agua's gonna work with 'er after he's done with Chris."

Mara shuddered at the amount of action that was going on in her belly, but took the baby obediently, moving back away from him and blinking at Dandelion. "I don't know where the Danger Room is."

"I can show you," said the white-haired girl in a soft voice, her pale cheeks pinking as she dropped her big dark eyes bashfully to her feet.

"What's wrong?" Creed frowned and sniffed.

"Nothing," Mara lied, hitching Goldie up a little further so that the hyperactive belly denizen couldn't kick her. "Sure, I can take her. Lead the way, girly."

Creed stopped her with a gentle hand to her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. "Kid's just moshing, that's all. He started up this morning."

"Zit hurtin'?" He looked down at her stomach uncertainly.

"It's not comfortable." Mara frowned. "But it doesn't really hurt. Just...something little pokin' your insides."

Creed's stubbly face took on a thoughtful cast for a few minutes. Then he nodded. "Okay. Lemme know if it gits bad. I useta distract the twins before they came out."

"Sure," mumbled Mara, then turned her gaze back to Dandelion and nodded toward the door. "You gonna show me?"

The little girl nodded, then shocked her by taking her hand and leading out of the room.

Mara shook her head slightly in confusion, then frowned at Goldie as the baby growled and took a swat at the older child.

Dandelion cried out in pain and let go, then looked up at her younger sister with tear-filled eyes as Goldie growled again and clung to the aqua punk possessively.

Mara's eyes widened in shock as she looked down at the baby with a slight scowl. "You stop that! No hurting your sister, that's very bad!" Then she blinked in wonder of the words that had spilled out of her mouth and looked at Dandelion. "You ok?"

The fluffy-haired child nodded, still nursing her hand against her chest, then flinched as Goldie growled again.

"Knock it off." Ruh blinked into sight and gave the golden baby a scowl, then vanished as swiftly as she'd come.

Mara shook her head, then held the baby out from her, eyes narrowed. "You stop that or you'll go back with the old man! I can hold you n' Dandelion's hand at the same time."

Goldie's amber eyes went wide, then her little face crumpled as she began to whimper.

"It's okay," said Dandelion quickly in her soft voice. "I'm not hurt. Don't cry, Goldie."

The baby looked down at her, then curled up against Mara's chest and closed her eyes.

"Oi," said the water girl, staring down at her and then sighing and wrapping her arm more firmly around the small body before holding her hand out to Dandelion again. "Are all babies this temperamental?"

"She misses her mom," said Dandelion in a detached-sounding tone, turning toward a door just down the hall.

"Huh," said Mara, scowling again to keep herself from missing her own parents.

They reached the door and the little girl pressed the button, then led her inside and carefully pecked a code into the number pad that took the place of a normal elevator's buttons.

Mara started slightly at the soft drop and speedy descent. "How many basements are there?"

"I don't know," said Dandelion shyly. "I'm only allowed on the first level."

"Ah." Mara shrugged. "What's the Danger Room anyway?"

"A holographic training simulation room." Dandelion examined the aquatic teen's hand, gently spreading the fingers apart and studying the webbing, then turned as the door slid open.

"Whoops!" The kid with the purple mohawk backed his wheelchair up. "Sorry."

"S'ok," Mara said to him as she looked down the long, silver hall. "Holographic...the future is now."

"Y' don't know the half 'o it," said the boy, his light voice touched faintly with a brogue. Then he offered her a grin that showed an impressive array of wolfish teeth. "Dr. Teeth. Ye're the new girl."

"I guess so." Mara arched an eyebrow at him. "Dr. Teeth, huh? Wasn't that a muppet?"

"Yup." His grey-green eyes danced.

"Well that's...cool," said Mara, lifting both eyebrows as she turned away from him. "Well, Dandelion, I think you're gonna be late if we don't get moving. Then you'd have to blame it all on Teeth here and that could turn into a real ordeal."

The shy child nodded, then whispered goodbye and led her away from the friendly young punk. "Dan's nice," she ventured.

"Wasn't he the kid who got really beat up when the Brotherhood came?" Mara frowned slightly as she dimly recalled the name.

"Yeah. He nearly died." Dandelion shuddered and bit her lip, then stopped in front of a door and let go to open it.

"Oh," said Mara, wondering at her showing more emotion for Dan than for Schattenjäger as she followed her through the door and up the metal staircase that was behind it.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a quick and easy ascent, though Goldie's falling asleep and suddenly going beanbag limp nearly sent Mara back down the stairs on her head. At the top she found an impressive array of stuff that would have looked at home on the bridge of the 'Enterprise', and a softly-glowing ghost presiding over it with a frown.

The tall aquatic looked around in wonder, impressed by the show of obviously advanced technology, then looked down through the wide windows and was surprised to see that 'Agua' was, in fact, Donnie. His usually gentle face was serious as he worked with a younger teen, whom she recognized as Jean's son. Mara could see that he was giving the boy careful instructions as they worked through various moves.

"Hey, Dandy," said Ruh, looking up from the console. "Y' ready t' learn?"

"Yes." The nine-year-old grinned at her, big eyes dancing with affection.

"This still yer favorite class?" Ruh's shadowed face brightened slightly in an answering grin.

"Yes. Agua's nice."

Ruh nodded and looked up at Mara. "Hey, kid. Got th' baby monster again, eh?"

"Yup." The water girl shrugged and looked down at the golden head that lay against her chest before stroking the baby's back absently. "Didn't know Nerves was a teacher too."

"Peer tutor," grunted Ruh, then briefly flashed out of sight and back. "More like a practice partner."

"Oh," said Mara, walking closer to the viewing window. "That's cool." Her absent contemplation of Donnie's muscles was abruptly interrupted as something bounced off her bladder.

"Bah." She winced slightly and looked down, then shifted so she could timidly touch her belly, trying to calm the baby down a little.

"What?" Ruh turned to frown at her.

"Nothing. It's just kicking a lot," she said in a low voice, biting her lip as the snuggling feeling returned.

Ruh looked wistfully at her belly, then jerked around and vanished as alarms started to howl.

Mara blinked, then shoved Dandelion behind her and looked down through the window, staring in disbelief as Donnie and Chris shot up to the ceiling and a glowing pink portal opened up in the Danger Room. Cain, Schattenjäger, and an armored woman with six arms fell through and sprawled on the floor. As she watched Cain scrambled to his feet and grabbed the six-armed woman around the neck, holding her as a blue figure seemed to ghost out of her, then chucking her back through the portal, which promptly closed.

"What happened?" asked Dandelion fearfully from where she'd ducked beneath the console.

Mara's jaw hung open as she stared down at the scene below her. She blinked and closed her mouth at the little girl's question, then backed up and shook her head. "I dunno...it's...it's Juggernaut...and your mom."

"I don't have a mom," Dandelion said without coming out of her hiding place.

"Oh." Mara blinked. "I thought Schattenjäger...ever mind."

"I don't have any parents. What's happening now?"

Mara looked down, one eyebrow arching as she recognized the instincts of a fellow street kid. Then she shuddered as the alarms turned off, as irked by the sudden silence as she had been by the blaring noise and wanting to hide under the console with Dandelion. "I'm not really sure... I don't think anything's wrong though. At least, nobody's fighting yet."

Then she looked down at Goldie in sudden concern, thinking that the baby should have been screaming at the noise when her own was doing an angry kick-dance, but the tiny girl was unmoving except for the deep rising and falling of her shoulders as she breathed.

Something on the console crackled, causing Mara to start back with a curse and wrap her arms protectively around the baby.

"Hey, kid," said Ruh's voice. "Y'wanna bring the runt t' 'er mother?"

"Oh...ok," she said, then looked down to see the blue woman sitting on Cain's shoulder as he conversed with Donnie. "C'mon, kid, let's go say hi." She wriggled her fingers under the edge of the console.

"Can I stay here?" came the muted response.

"Come on, kid, please?" said Mara, rubbing her cheek against the top of Goldie's head and biting her lip in fear when she still got no response from the baby.

"I'm scared," said Dandelion simply. "I wanna wait here till Uncle Vic comes to get me."

Mara sighed, then crouched down. "I think something's wrong with Goldie. She's not waking up..."

Dandelion looked back with wide eyes, then crawled forward and put a hand on the baby's back. "Oh no, she's sick."

"Sick?" breathed Mara, jaw dropping as she instinctively held the little one close. "What happened? Will she...should I take her to Hank?"

"We'd better bring her to Aunt Brownie." Dandelion bit her lip and scrunched her face up, but then seemed to force herself out from under the console with an effort.

Mara bit back a frightened mutter, then squared her jaw and nodded as she followed the younger girl out of the control room.

Kurt and Creed were there when they reached the Danger Room, the former being firmly glomped by the blue woman as she chattered a mile a minute, while the latter stood and stared at Schattenjäger.

Mara stared around, her defensive shields instinctively raising as she found herself in a crowd of already interacting people, but she forced herself to speak up. "Someone has t' help, quick!"

"What's wrong?" barked Creed, whirling and striding toward her.

"Goldie?" Schattenjäger stepped forward, the lights of the Danger Room glinting off the chain mail halter top that she wore.

"She just got sick or something, she won't respond at all!" said Mara, holding her out to Schattenjäger and hating the helplessness she felt.

Creed scooped the infant out of her arms and looked down into the little face, then turned and handed her to his fiancée, who gave a little sound of distress and cuddled her close.

"#$&, her fire's nearly gone out."

"Talk t' 'er," demanded Creed hoarsely, his amber eyes haunted. "Let 'er know yer back."

Mara backed away slowly, hands shivering from the anxiety tugging at her heart as she vaguely wondered what they meant by Goldie's fire being out, and what she'd done to trigger such a reaction in the child.

"I tried," said Creed brokenly. "I tried, but I could never get the milk warm enough, 're..."

"Moeder," came the little baby voice.

"Ja!" Schattenjäger was suddenly crying and laughing at once. "Ja, Sehr gut, mein Engel, #$&+ gut!"

Creed blinked and looked, then stuck his face to the baby's head and sniffed before turning and walking away.

"Dittydittydada!" demanded Goldie from behind him.

He stopped, that haunted look still on his face, then flinched as Schattenjäger caught him by the shoulder and ducked under his arm before enveloping him in her wings.

Mara hit the wall and slowly slid to the floor, numbly watching and wondering at the show of love and family that was playing out before her eyes.

"Mara?" A hand touched hers where it lay on her knee. "Mara, what's wrong?"

She blinked and focused on Donnie, who was kneeling in front of her as Chris hunkered gravely to the side and watched with solemn blue eyes.

"I...nothing," she mumbled, slightly taken aback by his sudden reappearance and subconsciously acknowledging the fact that her baby had gone still again. "I'm fine."

"No you're not," he said gently. "You've gone pale and your eyes don't look too good." He glanced over his shoulder as Cain chuckled at something TJ had said, then toward his student. "Come on, Chris, help me get her out of here."

"Just pick her up," said the younger teen.

"No." Donnie frowned. "She doesn't like to be touched."

"I can do it," Mara muttered, turning over and crouching on all fours before putting a hand on the wall and lifting herself to her feet with a grunt. Then she looked at Donnie and frowned. "I never came yesterday," she said, reminding herself of the fact and of how much he didn't know of what she'd been through since she was last in the pool. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he said softly. "Mr. Creed said you weren't feeling good. Um, do you need...need some help?" He offered his arm, blushing profusely.

"I'm fine," she repeated, shaking her head slightly. "But I still need to talk t' ya, if you have the time sometime today."

"I don't think Dandelion's gonna want her class," he said, glancing over to where Schattenjäger had just scooped the little girl into the family group hug. "I'm free now."

"Oh, alright." Mara avoided staring at the family again by turning and fixing her eyes on the door. "Erm...will the kid be ok?"

"Which kid?" asked Donnie gently.

"Goldie," Mara whispered, suddenly feeling very nauseous and leaning against the wall with a slight grimace. "And Dandelion."

She felt a strong arm go around her waist, and a shoulder under her own arm, then found herself sitting in the hallway and looking at a paper cup of water.

"Huh?" she grunted, glancing around in confusion. Then she took the cup and started to take a drink only to have her stomach lurch sickeningly in protest. She almost choked, then lowered the cup and bowed her head, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

"Mara?" Donnie's voice sounded frightened. "Do you want to go to the medlab? Do you need to be in the water? Mara?"

"Urgh," she grunted, feeling bad for scaring him as her hand found his and patted it slightly. "I'm fine, really. Jus' gimme a mo'... I got a bad headache."

"Alright," he said softly.

"Donnie, I have to go," gasped Chris from somewhere to her right. "I'm gonna be sick!"

Mara heard the scramble of feet, then a felt a swish of air and knew that the younger boy was gone.

"Headache?" asked Ruh's voice. "'R is it yer stomach?"

"Stomach." Mara groaned softly. "N' dizzy. I jus' need t' wait a minute..."

"Y' need ta lay down," said the ghostly woman. "Agua, pick 'er up 'n bring 'er along t' th' medlab."

"No," Mara moaned, falling to one side slightly as she glanced up at Donnie's worried, confused face. "Don't move me, I'll be sick!"

"Dangit," growled Ruh helplessly. "What the heck happened t' Jubes? Try'n lay down, kid. I'll be right back."

"Happened to Jubes?" said Donnie, moving so that Mara was leaning against him. "Mara, what's wrong?"

"Nothin'...nothin' bad, I hope," she said softly, trying to regulate her breathing as she closed her eyes again. "S'what I needed to talk t' you 'bout... There isn't nothin' wrong with me, Nerves, I'm just five months into makin' a baby."

She felt his shoulder warm as he blushed again, then felt him move uncertainly as though wondering if she'd rather not lean on him. "But usually the sickness stops before five months."

"Maybe," grunted Mara. "But I didn't get the kid the normal way. A reality shaper...at Hell...he made me n' Jubal parents five months int' it overnight, the night we had the accident."

"Jubal!" Donnie nearly gasped. "Oh boy..."

"Ugh, don't," Mara groaned as he started to move away from her. "Please, Donnie, I'll hurl..."

He settled back quickly, looking up at her in concern, then started at the sudden clatter of boot heels on the metal floor.

Jubal went to his knees so fast that he skidded, his eyes intent on Mara's face as he carefully put his hands to her temples. "Sorry, darlin', Chuck got me all tied up in knots 'n I lost the link."

She felt the dizziness and sickness fade and grunted softly, then opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. "You can't take it again, Jubal...it'll fade when it will. Cut it out."

He caressed her cheek with his thumb and gave her a rogue smirk, shaking his head. "Nuh, uh, darlin'. I said I'd help."

Mara found herself leaning towards his hand before she caught herself and pulled away, grunting and putting her hands over her face as she bumped into Donnie. "You're so thickheaded sometimes. Urgh, where's that water?"

The cup was gently bumped against the back of her hand.

Grabbing it, she closed her eyes and downed the contents, then sighed and rubbed her eyes before looking at both boys and shaking her head slightly.

They looked back. Jubal with that seriousness lurking behind his smirk, and Donnie with concerned eyes and a furious blush.

"Thanks, Jubes," she said finally, then looked at Donnie again and leaned forward, pulling herself to her feet with a weary sigh.

He nodded, then stood and looked at Donnie himself, his face going blank. "Thanks, Agua."

"You're welcome," said the younger teen, his expression showing discomfort and sadness.

Mara looked down at him, frowning slightly as she offered a hand to help him up.

He looked at it, hesitating, but then blushed and took it, barely using it as he stood. "Thanks."

"Quit bein' such a wuss," said Jubal suddenly. "Yer a #$&+ X-Man, so quit actin' like a scared pup."

Donnie bit his lip and dropped his eyes to his bare feet, his shoulders slightly hunched. "Sorry."

"Hey!" said Mara, jaw dropping slightly as her old attitude flared slightly. "Don't say that t' him! You sound like nothing more than a bitter $#&!"

Jubal just looked at her with that serious look on his lean face, then shook his head slightly and turned to walk away.

Mara stared after him, then bit her lip and folded both arms across her chest, knowing there was a hidden meaning in his berating but unable to figure what it was.

"I should probably go," said Donnie miserably, turning to go the other way. "See you, Mara."

"Wait!" she said, eyes widening. "I still need to...well...never mind. I'll...I'll catch you with you later, Nerves."

Scowling, she turned and walked toward the elevator, biting her lip as the trip upward failed to make her stomach give even its usual lurch of protest. The upper floor was empty at first glance, though the sound of voices came faintly from various parts of the big house. Mara started to turn toward the pool, but then stopped and cocked her head as a warm, living scent reached her nose.

It was an odd scent, there was definitely water but also an abundance of greenery, more than she'd ever smelled before. Inhaling deeply, she followed her nose toward a certain door at the opposite end of the house from the pool and pushed it open, then took a step backwards as the scent intensified dramatically. The room on the other side of the open door was brightly lit and seemed to contain a jungle. Plants were everywhere, flowers and vines and shrubs. The soft chuckle of water came from a large, irregularly-shaped pond in the center of the room, and Mara's eyes widened as she caught sight of huge, colorful fish moving lazily beneath the surface, specimens so wonderful to behold that she felt not the slightest desire for an early lunch. She hunkered by the pool in a half trance, eyes wide as the creatures swam smoothly to the side and poked their heads out to look at her expectantly.

Wondering, she poked her fingers into the cool water and blinked as the largest fish, a bright orange one with iridescent scales and a dark black lightening bolt on its back pushed past the others to nibble them gently.

"Huh, usually it's me nibbling on your kind, but whatever," she said in a low voice, grinning slightly at the ticklish sensation. "What kind of pet are you anyway? Some kinda jungle fish?"

The big fish looked up at her, then turned to chase a white fish with only a few large scales on its back as the slightly smaller creature nipped at its tail. The rest of the school, four or five living jewels, all crowded around her hand with shy eagerness though none of them were brave enough to nibble at it.

Mara slowly and smoothly pushed her webbed fingers through the water, touching one on the back and petting its smooth scales gently, carefully avoiding the gills and fins as she looked down at the beauty. "Yeah, you gotta be a jungle fish, from the Amazon or something. I heard everything's colorful up there," she muttered to herself, smiling for real now.

The largest fish returned and gave her pinky a gentle, insistent tug, then gave an excited dart away and back, scattering its brethren in all directions.

"Hey, easy there." Mara laughed softly and stroked its back as it returned. "Be a nice fish. You have your own little family here don't you? Were you taken from the Amazon together?"

The fish looked up at her, gills pumping softly.

Mara looked around the pool, then down at the fish again, starting as her belly gave an excited twist. She wondered longingly at the water for a moment, then looked at the fish. "You mind company?" She shrugged to herself and slowly climbed in, slipping beneath the surface and letting out a happy sigh as she looked around the small pool, then grinning as the fish nibbled at her clothes welcomingly. Sighing, she drifted down to the bottom, loving the shine of light in the water as it bounced off ripples and scales. She stroked her stomach and the fish, feeling as peaceful as she did on the late summer days she used to drift for hours with her dolphin family.


	9. Chapter 9

She wasn't aware that she'd fallen asleep until an exited jump from her baby startled her awake.

Frowning, she glanced around to see the fish swimming toward the surface and a slender brown hand that wriggled enticingly.

She jolted guilty, wondering if the owner of the hand knew she was down here and if she'd get in trouble. She didn't even know if she was supposed to be in this little pool. The fish seemed to be urging her to come up with them with little looks and an occasional dart, but she stayed put and hoped that she wasn't going to be caught.

The hope proved fruitless as she felt a familiar mental poke and saw an image of baby Jabez's face looking at her. As she frowned there was a gentle splash and she saw the hand beckoning gently.

She bit her lip and slowly pushed off the floor of the pool, drifting upward and poking her head smoothly out of the water to see the woman Ororo sitting on the rim of the pool and looking at her kindly. Jabez gave an adorable little grin from her mother's arms, while Ruh hunkered next to them, her eyebrow arched and her shadowed eyes seeming to twinkle humorously.

"Sleepin' with the fishes, kid?" asked the AI, one hand going toward Jabez's soft black hair.

"I wondered why they hadn't come to greet me." Ororo's thin face blossomed into a lovely smile. "You must be Mara."

The aqua punk opened her mouth, then blinked and gave Jabez a slightly reproachful glance as she was mercilessly mentally poked, only to relax and hide a smile as the tiny girl grinned at her again.

"Y...yeah," she said, trying to block the baby from her mind and get her words in order. "Yeah, I'm Mara."

Ororo nodded. "I'm Ororo Summers. And this is my stepdaughter, Jabez."

"Stepdaughter?" Mara blinked, recalling what Ruh had said to Creed about how Logan would have liked to have known Jabez and noticing how much the baby reminded her of the woman. "Erm, do y' know how to stop her from doing that mind poking stuff?"

"Yes. Stepdaughter." Ororo's smile faltered as she glanced at Ruh. Then she looked down at the baby, who was now frowning in concentration. "She wants you to take her."

"Um, sure," said Mara, feeling an intangible tug that seemed to be trying to lift her out of the pool. Reaching up, she pulled herself smoothly from the water, leaving most of it behind and quickly squeezing the rest out of her hair as she sat next to the two women. Then she held out her arms and blinked as Jabez's tiny arms and legs began to wave madly.

Ororo handed the excited infant over, smiling gently as she nestled close with a sigh and a puppyish growl.

"She likes ya," said Ruh, the wistfulness clear in her husky voice.

"Ok..." said Mara, puzzled by the affection shown to her and looking at Ororo for assurance she wasn't going to accidentally hurt the child. "Am I holding her right?"

"You're holding her very well." Ororo smiled, then blinked as Mara's baby gave Jabez a stiff boot and then snuggled against her. "Oh! Your baby's moving!"

"Yeah?" Ruh grinned. "Has 'e hit yer bladder yet?"

"Um, no," said Mara, brow furrowing in mild worry. "At least, I don't think so. He's mostly just kicked whoever I've been holding."

"Has Jubes felt 'im?" Ruh's grin broadened.

"You've been holding the other babies?" Ororo's smile widened as well, her soft blue eyes shining with approval and affection.

"Um, yeah, Goldie and Maeve," Mara mumbled, feeling her cheeks heat up. "N' yeah, he felt it this morning, when it started."

Ruh gave a deep chuckle of satisfaction. "Too bad I missed it. Bet that thawed 'im out a bit."

"Are you experiencing any discomfort in your breasts yet?" asked Ororo, drawing one knee up to her chin and absently tugging on the bottom edge of her cutoffs.

"Um, no," said Mara, blushing harder as she looked down at Jabez. Then she blinked and looked up, realizing she was talking with a woman who knew about pregnancy and would probably be willing to help her learn more about it. "Will I?"

"They usually grow more sensitive during the beginning of the pregnancy," said Ororo gently. "And then they start to grow larger, in preparation of making milk for the baby."

"Yeah, and then if ya ain't careful they'll leak," added Ruh soberly. "Especially if yer near another baby."

Mara's eyebrows shot up and she forced herself to not glance down as she nodded solemnly and frowned again, afraid to ask her next question. "Is there...more? Like, there's the cravings and stuff...is there more?"

"Logan got real bad mood swings," said Ruh, gazing at Jabez. "Nearly took 'er old man's head off a few times, 'n then scared 'im half t' death gettin' weepy 'n clingy."

"Sneezing can be dangerous during the last month or so." Ororo's mocha cheeks darkened slightly.

Mara's jaw dropped slightly. Then she shook her head and groaned softly to herself, shoulders sagging as she reaffirmed her grip on Jabez and tried to keep her hands from shaking.

"'N then there's the way yer guy suddenly can't keep 'is hands off yer belly." Ruh's grin returned, looking insufferably smug. "'N wakin' up in the mornin' t' catch 'im talkin' t' it, 'er even singin'." She chortled.

"I didn't get to experience that," said Ororo softly. "But Jean's described it too."

"Yeah," mumbled Mara, not being able to imagine Jubal singing to her stomach.

-Mara!- came an unexpected, happy sending in her mind and she jerked a glance at Jabez, who was looking very pleased.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed. "Who said that?"

"Jabez did." Ororo smiled. "She's trying to discover the best way to talk to you."

"Oh." Mara stared at the baby. Then she looked up uneasily at the friendly women before her eyelids flickered back down. "Does...does it hurt a lot when you have a baby?"

"Nathan kept me from feeling any discomfort," said Ororo softly. "But yes, it hurts. Some women experience a lot of pain, and others don't. It depends upon how relaxed you are and whether or not your husband is a telepath."

"Dang. Poor Jubes." Ruh frowned.

"I don't want him to," said Mara, unable to keep the small tremor out of her voice. "But he won't listen to me."

"No, he's stubborn that way," said Ruh huskily. "Should'a seen 'im when 'e was just a little skinny thirteen year old, tryin' t' get me down inta his hidey hole without hurtin' me worse." She reached a hand toward Jabez's back, but then drew it back and stuck it in an illusionary pocket.

"He's going to hurt himself." Mara bit her lip. "I'm the one supposed to be dealing with this, and he's gonna end up hurting himself because of it."

Ruh sighed and shook her head. "If it weren't fer Stitch 'n Jabez, 'n you now, he'd 'a ben gone by now. The three 'a ya 're 'is lifeline, just like 'e was Logan's once."

"Why me?" Mara said, looking up sadly. "Why? I'm nobody, and he doesn't even know me, not really."

The AI opened her mouth to respond, but then started and blinked out of sight as a woman with a head of brown curls skidded to a stop behind them.

"De car fall on Jubes!" screamed the newcomer. "His leg! Oh #$&!"

Ororo was on her feet and out of the room before Mara even had time to process what the stranger had said. Then it sank in and she felt her stomach plummet as she tore out of the room after the white-haired woman, trying to follow her footfalls and hold Jabez safely at the same time.

The quest led her to the front door, where she nearly smacked into her quarry, who had frozen on the doorstep with a hand over her mouth in horror.

"'Ro, take Jabez 'n get outta here!" barked Ruh's voice, fizzing and crackling with static. "Mara, go to 'im. Please."

Ororo turned and held out her arms, and the aqua punk saw that the woman's face was pale with shock.

She felt a chill go down her back and turn her bare feet to ice as she handed the baby over and then stepped aside to let Ororo go back inside. Once the woman had done so the water girl could see a red mustang parked in front of the garage, the near front corner laying against the pavement of the drive. Jubal lay next to the vehicle with his arms braced behind himself as Bunyip spoke to him urgently.

Her feet seemed to carry her without her bidding, her footsteps deliberate and quickened by fear, though held back by the same angst. As she neared Jubal she felt her throat close off as she caught sight of the pool of blood that surrounded him and the way his leg was pinned beneath the fallen vehicle.

"What happened?" she choked out, staring in terror as Bunyip moved out of her way and gently pushed her down to a kneeling position next to her fiancé.

"Was tryin'...tryin' t' change Scott's flat." Jubal looked up at her through eyes dulled by pain and shock, then groaned as his arms gave out and dropped him to the pavement, only Bunyip's foot preventing his head from hitting hard.

Mara moved over and pushed the Australian away, taking Jubal's head in her lap and biting her lip as she gently wiped away the sweat from his forehead with the bottom of her shirt.

"Shh, it'll be ok...Hank or someone'll be here in a moment, it'll all be fine in a little bit," she murmured, touching his shoulder and looking up at Bunyip for help.

"Hank's not here," said the furry Australian hoarsely. "He'n the others 're all gone t' town. Rouge's gone lookin' fer 'Tooth 'n Brownie 'n Cain."

"But someone'll come," said Mara, scowling as she wiped Jubal's face again. "They have to."

There was a rush of air and suddenly Sturmjäger was there beside them, her fathomless black eyes staring down at the crushed leg in shock. "#$&+ it, Jubes. I thought y' vere gonna tryin' stick around now."

"Move." Creed pushed his fiancée aside and looked at Jubal's face, then turned his attention to the bloody puddle that was still spreading and pulled off his belt, his craggy face going pale. "Talk t' 'im, Mara."

"Jubal?" she said, looking down and seeing a blank expression coming into his eyes as he watched what Creed was doing. Her heart ran in panic as she touched his cheek with a hand that trembled slightly. "Jubal! Come on, punk boy, stay awake!"

He blinked and let his head fall back, then winced and grimaced in pain as Creed wrapped the belt around his leg and pulled it tight.

"#$&!" came Cain's voice from behind them. "Whadya want me ta do, Vic?"

"You'n Brownie go t' either end 'a the car 'n wait fer my word. When I count three lift," said the blond feral tersely, his amber eyes going back to Jubal.

The black-haired teen looked back at him, then gritted his teeth and moved one hand upward. "Mara..."

"Hey, I'm here," she said, catching it in hers. Then she realized she still wasn't feeling woozy, from the baby or the sight of all the blood around her. She stared at the young man laying with his head on her lap and let out a curse as she saw him acknowledge the fact he might not make it, the reflection as clear as a mirror in his eyes. "#$&, man! Stop using your #$+& powers, you don't have the strength right now!"

"Mara," he said softly, in the voice of the boy from Hell, those pain-filled, fading eyes on her face. "I love you, chica."

"Stop that!" Her voice cracked. "Stop it! You're gonna kill yourself, you stupid punk! Stop using your powers on me and freaking stick around!"

"Don't yell at 'im," rumbled Creed softly. "'E may not be able t' control 'em anymore. Say what ya gotta say. Ain't gonna be no time fer talkin' once we git the car off 'im."

"Jubes..." Mara's throat closed off, stopping her voice, and she closed her eyes, no longer able to bear to looking into his. "Please, Jubes, don't quit out now, we were gonna get married, you were gonna have a kid of your own. You can't let this stop you!"

He took a deep, shaking breath, and then let it out in a little cry of pain. "Mara. I love you. Tell Stitch...'n...'n Jabez..." His eyes fell shut and then jerked open again with an effort. "'N Wolvie. Tell 'em I love 'em...too."

Mara started to sob, bowing her head and gripping his hand a little tighter. "Don't," she said again.

"Please..." he said softly. "Please, chica..."

"I will," she whispered brokenly, still sobbing. "But don't take that as it being ok for you to die, you can't!"

He gave her a million dollar grin that shocked her with its sweetness, then sighed and went still.

"Three!" roared Creed, bounding to his feet.

Mara reeled and caught herself as dizziness and nausea rushed through her like a flood when the dam's been removed, barely aware as the convertible was hoisted up and tossed aside and Creed grabbed Jubal and leaped away. All she was aware of was the absence of something that she hadn't even known was there until it wasn't anymore and the frightened kicking of her baby.

She let out a frightened groan and fell to the side, hitting the pavement with a sharp, stinging jolt, her vision blurring as she fought not to be sick. Then two arms scooped her up and held in her in a strong, comforting grip, followed by motion as she was carried away.

Groaning again, she closed her eyes and faded into a world of blackness and ice.


	10. Chapter 10

"Mara? Darlin', kin y' hear me?" A soft, cool cloth touched her forehead, bringing relief.

"What happened, Ruh? Was it just the shock?" asked a strange female voice.

"No. She 'n Jubes were linked. 'E was keepin' 'er from feelin' sick." The cloth was removed and a softly tingling hand touched the spot where it had lain.

Mara's vision cleared and she looked up woozily, starting to tremble and cry as she pulled away from Ruh's hand, both arms wrapping around her middle as she groaned aloud.

"Easy, River," said the AI huskily, rubbing her back. "How's the sprout?"

Mara shook her head as she fought to come to terms with what had happened and keep herself from throwing up. "He...he's dead, isn't he?"

Ruh shook her head. "Hank got 'im back."

-Mara?- the little voice poked cautiously into the back of her mind, accompanied by the sensation of something soft and warm in her arms. -Baby hug?-

She looked up, breathing quickly and unevenly as she stared at Ruh in shock, then slowly and jerkily turned to look at baby Jabez, who was staring at her from Ororo's arms on the other couch.

"She pokin' ya again?" Ruh also turned to look at the infant, whose little chin had started to quiver when she caught the water girl's eyes.

Mara nodded absently, still trembling as she looked back at the baby.

"So...h...he's alive?" she asked fearfully, bracing herself for a negative answer.

"Yeah." Ruh drew up one leg and rested her elbow on her knee in the way that Jubal always did, then lowered her head to her fist. "Hank used the twin's placental blood, 'cause it had the same healin' properties that Angel's had. But there wasn' much 'a it." She faded slightly, her face becoming more shadowed and haunted.

"H...he was t...talkin' like he was gonna die," said Mara brokenly. "H...he told me to tell you n' Stitch n' Jabez that h...he loves ya. I thought for sure he was gonna die!"

Ruh gave an incoherent groan and vanished, the dent in the couch where she'd been sitting slowly rising up again.

"He did," said Ororo softly, rubbing Jabez's back as the baby fussed and struggled against the arm she was braced against. "But Victor was able to get him into stasis quickly enough to keep his body alive 'till Henry could return."

"H...he died?" Mara gasped and coughed, then moaned softly, curling into a ball with her arms over her head.

"Yes." Ororo's softly accented voice was sad. "For the second time we nearly lost our Jubal. And for the second time God has given him back to us."

There was an irate squeak from Jabez, and then Mara felt the white-haired woman sit next to her and put an arm around her, offering silent comfort.

"Why does he keep doing that?" the water girl sobbed breathlessly, unconsciously leaning into the woman's embrace. "Why can't he just stay here and be with us?"

"He wasn't trying to leave us, child," said Ororo gently, rubbing her back and carefully transferring Jabez to her arms.

Mara held the baby to her, still sobbing as she shook her head. "But why is it always happening to him?"

"It has happened to nearly all of us." Ororo sighed. "There are even bets as to weather or not Logan will return."

"What?" Mara looked up and stared disbelievingly. "How can you people live like that? How do you deal with anything if not even death is for sure?"

"Carefully," said Ororo softly, her eyes on the dark-haired baby that she had born. "With thankfulness for each new day. And it is hard to stay in despair when one knows how the story ends."

Mara shook her head, looking down at Jabez, who was sucking on her arm and drooling all over it. "But if it doesn't end; if you just keep coming back? When you die you're supposed to die, but if you keep coming back and it's not really death, then what is? How do you know when it's forever? Or when you do come back?"

Then she gasped as something touched her mind gently, a fleeting tickle like a fairy kiss. She would have believed herself to have gone over the edge but for the fact that she recognized it.

- Jubes? - she called meekly, fearfully reaching out for some ounce of concrete hope to pull her out of this most recent emotional roller coaster ride.

The touch came again, ethereal as a mental snowflake, but warm with love.

-Do you hear him?- Charles asked softly, sounding relieved.

-Yeah...- she said, desperately clinging to the feeling. -Jubal, please don't go away, I need you, and so does the baby. Please don't let go!-

-I don't think he can hear you,- said Charles gently. -He's dreaming.-

-He has to,- insisted Mara. -He has to...- But then she jerked back into the present as Jabez suddenly seemed to go baby ape, breathing heavily and waving her arms and legs frantically.

-Tio!- the mental shout made the water girl's head ring. -Tio! TIO!-

Mara lost control over her stomach, then lay against the arm of the couch and gasped for breath as Ororo gave a cry of pain and put her hands to her head.

-Jabez, stop!- came another voice. -You're going to hurt someone!-

-Daddy! Tio!- The baby's sending suddenly became muted and she began to cry.

Mara shuddered and held her close, swallowing against the revolting taste in her mouth, then blinked as Cable crouched in front of her.

"Do you want me to take her?" he rumbled, his living eye dark with concern and compassion.

Mara shook her head and clamped her jaw firmly shut, trying to comfort the baby, curling tighter and rocking back and fourth as she focused on settling her stomach and swallowing away the taste.

"Jabez, child, if you shout like that again you might not have any mothers on this side of the veil," said Ororo shakily as she pushed herself up to sitting. "Oh my, I'd better clean that up."

"I've got it," rumbled Cable. "See to Jabez."

"Hey." The couch dented softly beside Mara and softly furred arms wrapped around her. "Come on, it's gonna be okay. Jubes won't let us down."

Mara gasped and shook uncontrollably as she turned to the strange face of the blue girl who was holding her. Then she gasped again and stiffened as the empty feeling abruptly vanished from her mind, along with a good part of the nausea.

-Tio?- Jabez shivered and clenched her tiny fists.

"Oh no," Mara croaked, looking up fearfully. "He's doing it again, Professor. Make him stop!"

-I don't dare,- said Charles. -It...-

-Mara?- The voice was groggy and barely coherent, but warm with love. -Chica?-

-Jubal?- She felt woozy again. -What are you thinking? You're not in any shape to be making yourself sick any more!-

-Nag, nag,- he said with punchy gentleness. -Not makin'... Not makin' myself sick. Shieldin'.-

-Nag...- Mara repeated, disgruntled slightly, but comforted by the ability to make a joke. It sounded better than he had under the car, anyhow. -Are you...are you feeling ok?-

It was a moment before he replied. -Hmm?-

"Mara, are you talking to him? Is he awake?" TJ shook her gently.

"Y...yeah," said Mara, then shook her head. "No... Kind of..." - Please get better, punk boy. Please. -

-Workin' on it,- he said, feeling as though he were drifting back to sleep. -Love you, babe.-

-L...love you,- stuttered Mara, feeling him fade slightly, though their link remained. She looked at TJ, one last tear trickling down her cheek. "He's gonna be ok, I think."

"Sure he is." The furry girl grinned, though her strange golden eyes were dull with concern. Then she started as someone tapped at the door tentatively.

"Come in, Donnie." Cable looked up from the freshly-clean spot on the carpet, raising one hand as the paper towels and cleaning material vanished with a flash and a swish.

Mara barely heard as she leaned against TJ, blinking wearily and feeling cautious movement behind the waistband of her borrowed pants.

"Hey," said Donnie gently, seeming to come out of nowhere as he knelt in front of her and looked up with worried eyes.

"Watch it, dude," TJ scolded, her grip tightening even as Ororo's hand smoothed Mara's back. "You startled her. She's not all there yet."

"Sorry." He bit his lip and paled slightly.

"Hey, Nerves. It's ok..." Mara blinked and shook her head slightly to try and engage her brain, then looked at her friend for a moment before shuddering. "Are you ok? How's Stitch?"

"I'm fine, but Stitch's pretty wild right now," he said softly, then dropped his eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry that I didn't come and help. I was in the pool; I hadn't gone on the field trip with everyone else."

"You did not know, Donavan," said Ororo gently, still rubbing Mara's back.

"Yeah." Mara sat up a little straighter and patted his shoulder, then scrubbed her eyes. "I mean, I don't know what you could have done anyway, no one was really able to do anything besides Creed and the big guys..." She shuddered and sniffed, then looked at him with sudden concern. "Is Creed... I mean, is he still ok?"

"Mr. Creed's pretty shaken up," said Donnie softly, still looking at the floor. "He's in the Danger Room killing things."

"Oh," said Mara, holding herself tightly with both arms and shuddering slightly again. "How...how long has it been?"

"It's nearly midnight." Donnie glanced at the curtained windows, then started and glanced at Jabez as the baby growled.

Mara also looked at the baby and frowned, chewing on the insides of her cheek. "What's wrong, kid?"

-Hug baby.- Jabez scrunched her little face up appealingly, then snapped her eyes open as Mara's baby gave a sharp kick. -Uh?-

"Is she talking to you?" Donnie looked up curiously.

Mara frowned and shrugged one shoulder absently, then glanced down at Jabez snuggling with the baby in her stomach, who was responding with equal affection. A vague suspicion that the pair were somehow communicating touched her, but she didn't mind. It was an odd thing to be comforted by, maybe, but she didn't deny the measure of peace it seemed to bring her.

-They are.- Cable turned to look at her, his artificial eye glinting gently.

"Are you tired, Mara?" asked Ororo softly, reaching out with her free hand and absently running her fingers through his hair.

"I..." Mara looked away from the couple. "Yeah, I think... I mean, I guess so."

"Where do you want to sleep?" The white-haired woman took the hand away from her husband's hair and set it on Jabez's back, but then removed it as the baby squirmed in protest.

Mara blinked as the squirm elicited a flurry of sympathetic bouncing from her unborn, then tried to think about the question.

"I dunno, anywhere I guess," she said, waiting to be told where to go. She simply didn't have the capacity to make up her own mind right now, she felt stuck in automatic drive, heartsick and stretched out thin.

"Do you want to sleep in the pool?" asked Donnie softly.

"Don't you have a room yet?" TJ shifted and frowned without letting go of her.

"No, I was sharing with Jubal sometimes before, or in the pool." Mara shrugged and glanced at Donnie. "Sure. Water sounds nice."

Jabez leaned back and frowned up at her disapprovingly.

"Mara hasn't got milk," said Cable mildly.

Jabez gave a disgruntled snort and cuddled her new friend for a few more minutes, then sighed hugely and turned her head to look at her parents.

"Here, I think she's hungry or something." Mara handed her back to Ororo and sighed as her stomach went still for a moment, then perked up as she replaced her hand over it. "Hey, kid, d'you want to sleep in the pool?"

The baby gave a soft tap and bounce, then started a search pattern.

Mara blinked at a sudden projection of concern. "What's that?"

"Jabez?" Cable leaned back to look at his baby daughter's face.

-Baby want Daddy,- came the sad little reply.

Mara's eyes filled with tears again. "Yeah," she said, agreeing with the babies and wishing she could do something about it. "Pool then." She tried to will herself to get up, but felt nearly too drained to move at all.

"Do you need a hand?" asked TJ gently as Jabez sent happy sleepy feelings that nearly knocked Mara out on the spot.

"I think so," said the aqua punk, blinking blearily as her head drooped and she caught herself. "Ugh...kid...thanks, but not yet, please?"

"I'll carry you," offered Donnie, blushing and looking at the floor again.

"I'm too fat." Mara smiled slightly.

His eyes flew up to her face in surprise. "No you're not!"

She chuckled softly as her eyelids dropped again and she blanked out for a moment, then struggled to wake herself and started to try to sit up, only realizing that she simply didn't have the energy. She looked at Donnie for a moment, then nodded wearily. "Um, I think you're gonna have to, I can't...I can't move." Her words drifted into a stifled yawn and she glanced at Jabez. "Thanks a lot, kid."

-Good baby!- came the saucy retort as the tiny face crinkled into an unmistakable cheeky Wolverine grin.

"Urgh," Mara grunted in reply, then turned back to Donnie. "Thanks for the help..."

"You're welcome." He stood and took her hand, then gently pulled her to her feet and scooped her up easily. "Is your belly okay?"

"Yeah," she muttered, head resting on his shoulder as she fought off sleep as well as she was able. "Yeah... We still...we still gotta talk...later..."

"Sure," he said softly, then looked at TJ as the indigo girl stood and put a hand to Mara's forehead.

"I thought so," she said softly. "You need to take it easy for a bit, chica. You're running a slight fever."

"No." Mara shook her head slightly and shivered. "I'm fine."

"You've had a pretty rough day," said TJ gently, her face suddenly full of old pain and memories. "It's no fun to watch your guy get hurt."

Mara turned her head away slightly. "I'm fine," she mumbled again, curling up inside of herself.

"Get her to bed," rumbled Cable.

"Yes, sir." Donnie turned and carried her gently from the room as she succumbed to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

She woke some hours later as Donnie gasped and shifted around her and looked up to see Stitch curled on the surface of the pool above her, frowning in her sleep.

"Donnie? You ok?" she mumbled, trying to organize her thoughts as she blinked at the dark haired teen, wanting to reach out to the girl but fearful of startling her.

Her only reply was a low moan and another flinch of the water around her, then a sob that caused her young honorary sister to lift her head and look down with puzzled dark eyes.

"Donnie!" Mara said louder, worried now about her friend and reaching out, feeling him all around her but knowing he was most likely asleep and having nightmares. "Nerves, wake up!"

He gasped again, then pressed against her and shuddered. "Oh man! Oh man..."

"Nerves, it's ok, it was only a dream," she said, closing her eyes and wishing she could put her arm around him. "You're awake now, it's ok."

The water all around her shuddered again, then sighed and relaxed its hold on her slightly. "Sorry for waking you guys up."

"It's ok," said Mara gently. Then she looked up at Stitch, searching for a clue as to how the girl was holding up.

Her younger sister looked back at her, a searching look on her face, then lifted her head and moved her mouth.

"Stitch's asking how you're doing," said Donnie shakily, his usually soft voice rough with strain.

"I'm fine," said Mara. "A little disoriented, but fine. Is she ok?"

"She's pretty shaken up, and having a hard time with her instincts." Donnie shifted again, then gently pulled away from the girls and moved toward the center of the pool, leaving Stitch calmly treading water and still looking down.

"It's ok, Donnie," Mara said again, frowning. "It'll be ok." Then she turned and pushed herself from the bottom of the pool, rising up a few feet away from Stitch and holding out her hand to the girl.

Stitch looked at her, then back into the water. "He's cryin'."

"Yeah," said Mara sadly, noticing Will and Creed laying beside the pool and watching with dark eyes.

"Can't hug 'im when he's water." Stitch frowned, then suddenly turned and glomped onto Mara, burying her face in the front of the stretchy blue jumpsuit that the aqua punk was wearing. "Tell 'im t' be a person."

Mara put her head into the water and gently relayed the message. "Stitch decreed you need to become human again so she can hug you."

She felt her friend moving the water, then saw him start to condense till he stood on the bottom of the pool with his head bowed and his shoulders drooping. Stitch abandoned her abruptly and dove, wrapping her eyes around the muscular boy from behind and laying her head on his shoulder.

Donnie patted the girl's arms, then kicked off from the bottom and slowly swam to the side of the pool and heaved himself and his passenger out.

Mara let herself slip back under the surface to take a few deep breaths, then swam to the opposite end of the pool and managed to extract herself somewhat gracefully before she turned to look back at them with her knees pulled to her chin.

"Hey." Creed's big hand gently touched her back, and she shocked both herself and him by turning and hiding her face in the front of his shirt.

"I...I'm sorry," she whispered shakily, her shoulders shaking as she bit her lip. "I just...I mean, I can't..."

"Shh, sweetheart," he rumbled, rocking her as no one had since she was very young. "I know." He lowered his face to her hair. "I got ya. It's gonna be alright."

She broke down and bawled, feeling herself near the edge of hysteria, barely noticing when a smaller set of arms wrapped themselves firmly around her waist from behind.

-Love-love,- said a familiar little voice in the back of her mind, accompanied by a wash of affection and comfort. -Love-love.-

Mara sobbed for a few more minutes, then took a deep breath and pulled Stitch up next to her, catching a glimpse of Donnie and Will hunkered down behind her and watching with silent sympathy. Then she swallowed and tightened her grip on Creed as she realized that the big man was weeping again himself, his words of comfort trailing off into a ragged rumble.

"It's ok," she repeated to Creed, to Stitch, and to herself, feeling slightly overwhelmed at the realization that she was surrounded by caring people. "It's ok. Jubal's gonna be ok, I know it. It's ok."

-Tio!- It was an exultant whoop that made Creed and Stitch flinch and growl.

-Mara?- came a weak call, thick with concern. -Chica, what's wrong?-

"Dangit, Jabez!" snarled Stitch. "Y' nearly scared me feral again!"

"What was she yellin' about?" Creed pulled back slightly to look down at Mara.

"Jubes!" whispered Mara softly. -Jubes, you're awake!-

-Yeah,- she 'heard' a slightly punchy chuckle. -Where are you?-

"He is?" Stitch suddenly got a deathgrip on her arm. "How do ya know? Mara?"

"Sweetheart?" Creed shook her gently.

"He's talkin' to me," Mara said distractedly, filled with a new hope. -I'm at the pool. Are you ok? Can I go down there? How long have you been up?-

"Talkin' t' ya?" Creed frowned slightly.

-Not up,- said Jubal softly. -Stuck in a bio bed. 'N stoned. Everythin's fuzzy.- He chuckled again ruefully, then suddenly sharpened his focus. -You okay?-

"Yeah, he made us a link before." Mara looked up at Creed, then blinked and wondered how to answer her fiancé. -Yeah...yeah, I'm fine. Just...you know, worried.-

-I'm okay.- Jubal leaked fuzzy weightlessness. -You comin' to see me?-

"A link?" rumbled Creed softly, shifting his grip on she and Stitch as the younger girl snuggled closer.

"A telepathic link," she said, shaking her head. "Can I go see him now? He's asking for me."

"Telepathic?" He frowned. "The kid head talks?"

"A little." Mara frowned. "He likes to put himself out taking my stomach sickness away, that's why he kept getting sick at Hell. Can I go see him?"

Creed made a 'huh' and quirked a grin, then got up slowly and set both girls on their feet without taking his arms from them. "Sure, want me t' come?"

"I guess, if you want." Mara glanced at him sideways and blinked, impatient to see Jubal alive.

"Don't wanna get in the way," he said gruffly, dropping his arm from her shoulders and shuffling uncertainly, then flinching as Stitch grumbled and snuggled closer.

"No, it's okay," said Mara absently, her mind on her fiancé. -I'm comin', punk boy.- She turned and took several strides toward the door, but then paused and looked back with a frown. "You comin', Nerves?"

He stood and looked at her in surprise. "Jubal doesn't like me."

"So?" Stitch let go of Creed and turned to scowl at him.

"So he's not feeling good," said Donnie awkwardly. "I don't want him to feel worse."

"You're just feelin' guilty 'cause yer an X-Man 'n he got kicked off the team," growled the young clone. "Stop bein' such a suck."

"He's feeling bad enough," whispered Donnie huskily, his eyes on the floor. "I don't want to remind him of something else he's lost."

"Mara wants you to go, though," said Will suddenly, making Stitch start and growl. "Come on, you don't have to go right in."

Creed looked around, then put an end to the argument by herding all the young people toward the door.

Mara waited till Donnie caught up with her, then walked beside him as she processed what he'd just said. So that's why Jubal didn't like him? Some petty fight about who was on the team and who wasn't? It made sense, more than she wanted to admit.

"It's okay," she said softly. "He's still dosed up on drugs and stuff anyway, if he's even awake I don't think he'll be upset with anyone."

He hunched his shoulders slightly, looking incredibly guilty, his chronic blush staining his ears as he watched the floor.

"Besides, the last time I saw you two in the same room Jubes didn't even smell mad," finished Stitch from behind them, then gave a little gasp and a squeak.

Mara glanced over her shoulder to see her honorary sister cuddled in Will's big green arms as he walked next to Creed, the girl's angry expression fading back to tears and over-tiredness.

The aqua girl shrugged slightly and turned back to Donnie. "I bet Jubal will get better with you, at least a little bit. I mean, he kinda has to. We're getting married and you're my friend."

The dark-haired boy gave her a troubled sideways glance, then returned his eyes to the floor.

"I mean, you are my friend, right?" She suddenly got a sinking feeling as she wondered if she'd been wrong the whole time, and that Donnie had only been showing polite interest in her.

He nodded. "But I...I need to tell you something."

"Yeah?" Mara didn't like his tone very much, but was comforted by the fact that she knew she had a good friend now.

He took a deep breath and shivered slightly. "I...you know the first night that you were hurt, and Mr. Creed put you in the pool?"

"Yeah?" she said, frowning and leaning closer to catch his words.

"You melted," he said, his voice going even lower. "I was already water, so we sort of got mixed up. I saw everything that was in your thoughts. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"I..." Mara's eyes widened and she found herself staring at him, taken completely off guard at the news. "I mean... Oh."

She remembered the ability to change into water from long ago. She'd only done it once, when she was little and her family's car had crashed into the ocean. She'd never tried to do it again, because when she'd finally managed to pull herself together into an actual being she'd been changed, different, and it had scared her.

But this... If Donnie was telling the truth, he knew absolutely everything about her. Even Jean only knew what Mara had told her, as far as she knew. For a moment she felt like a vicious current had just jolted her out of synch with the tides, but then she shook her head. "Well...ok. I'm sorry."

He looked up finally, his gentle, honest face creased into a puzzled frown. "You're sorry?"

Mara looked down, ashamed. "I mean, it's a load of #$+& really. I'm sorry you had t' see it."

"You're not mad?" He stopped, ignoring Creed's grumble.

"The only thing about my past that makes me mad is what happened," said Mara, looking away from him. "And obviously you know what came of that. I don't like it, and I don't like people trying to force it outta me, but it wasn't your fault. So no, I'm not mad at you."

She heard him heave a sigh of relief, then sniff, and turned back in time to see Creed mess his hair up and give him a gentle shove.

"Get goin', kid," rumbled the older man gruffly. "Wolverine's waitin'."

Mara frowned at the codename, then caught Donnie's wrist and pulled him forward so that they were walking side by side again, not bothering to ask about the name. She knew she'd find out in time, and so instead focused on speeding the pace of the small party, and fighting the growing urge to simply break out into a sprint to reach Jubal more quickly. They reached the elevator and she jabbed at the button, then put a hand to her belly as the baby started to dance. She rubbed it gently, absently looking around for the source of a deep rumbling sound and giving a soft snort as she caught sight of Cain Marko squished into one of the elegant little Queen Anne foyer chairs with his face toward the ceiling and TJ curled up in his arms.

"Wonder if this means they've finally clued in," said Stitch from behind her.

"Huh?" Mara looked over at her dumbly.

"They've ben runnin' 'round t'gether since TJ first came," said Stitch, stirring in Will's grip. "TJ's always sittin' on 'is shoulder. Everybody but them can see they're crazy 'bout each other." She snorted. "Kurt's gone from TO'd that an old guy likes 'is daughter to TO'd that the old guy's too dumb to propose."

"Oh." Mara blinked and looked at the pair again. They looked...happy. For a second her heart panged as she wondered if she and Jubal would ever be happy like that. To just simply love without any boundaries or fear of the other falling off the deep end, or scaring the other by being too forward, too loving, too honest. The thought made her want to cry, so she angrily turned and stuffed away her emotions, facing the elevator again and waiting for the door to open.

"Mara?" said Donnie softly as it swished open.

"What?" she grunted, stepping forward and letting her hand drop away from her stomach.

He reached over and hesitantly touched her arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, eyes downcast as she faced the back of the elevator car.

"No, you're not," he countered firmly. "Take a deep breath."

She tried, then cussed weakly as it came in shakily. "Nothing. I'm just thinkin' 'bout...'bout stuff. Don't tell me you can still figure out everythin' I'm thinkin' now?"

"I'm an X-Man," he said gently. "We're trained to read body language. But yeah, I kind of know how your mind works too."

"I'm so glad nobody's got gas," said Stitch tersely from behind them.

"You didn't," growled Creed.

"Nope."

"I'm just thinkin'," Mara repeated, shaking her head at the slight note of apprehension and impatience in Stitch's voice, then turning as the door swished open.

"Yeah." Donnie blushed and fell silent as he once more fell into step with her.

Stitch poked her head over Will's shoulder and looked back at Mara. "I'll let you go in by yourself first."

"Thanks kid," she said, appreciating the girl more and more as she stepped past the green boy and entered the medlab alone.

The smell of antiseptic greeted her immediately, making her stomach twist as she stopped and looked around, wondering what a 'bio bed' looked like. She caught sight of a splash of blue on the floor and walked through the near-maze of high-tech equipment toward it, only to stop as she realized that it was Hank in cat form, stretched out on his side in utter exhaustion as his wife used him for a pillow. She absently noted the tension in Dom's face and the unhappy tilt of Hank's ears even as he slept, then rubbed her arms and looked around, her blood chilling as she saw a still form lying inside a coffin-like thing with a clear domed top.

-Jubes?- she called uncertainly, her long legs taking her over to the contraption, then going weak as she saw two bright blue eyes gazing up at her hazily through the glass.

-I just had the most #$+& dream,- he said unhappily.

-What was it?- she asked with a worried frown, touching the glass.

-The usual.- He closed his eyes and shivered. -Sorry, chica.-

-Sorry for what?- Mara shrugged. -Besides, you know, having a car falling on you and almost dying out there. I mean, that's over, so what's wrong?-

-Keep puttin' you through hell.- His mental voice was thick with apology and frustration. -S'posed ta be takin' care'a ya.-

Mara looked down at him for a long time, feeling something coming from him she'd never known before and seeing a spark of life and affection in his drug-dulled eyes, then shrugged again. -Hey, we learn a different way not to go through it every time, right? It's ok.-

His mouth twitched at one corner as his eyelids fell shut again. -Love you...- Then he started awake again and whimpered mentally. -Dangit!-

-It's ok,- Mara soothed, wishing she could take his hand. -Should I kick Hank awake?-

His eyes closed once more and she lay against the glass, feeling awful at being unable to comfort him when that thin arch of material was all that separated them.

She tapped at it in frustration, then jerked up with a short cry as a rush of terror, grief, and pain washed over her. "Jubes? Jubes!" She put a hand over her mouth as her stomach rose up in protest, then gave a feeble moan.

-Jubes, - she called, closing her eyes and hoping desperately that he could hear her. -Jubes, wake up, it's ok. Come back, you're safe, just wake up!-

"Mara?" Hank was suddenly beside her, his golden eyes fixed on the monitor at the head of the bed. "What is it? What ails you?"

"Jubal," she groaned, rubbing her head. "His nightmares've come back. You've gotta stop giving him the drugs, Hank, he can't sleep unless someone's with him!"

"He must needs sleep in order to heal," rumbled the blue doctor gently, his fingers dancing over the keys beneath the monitor.

"But you're trapping him in a nightmare!" Mara protested. "He's only sleeping, he's not resting or anything. You have to stop him from dreaming or he'll never get better!"

Those golden eyes turned toward her, Hank's exhaustion and pain showing clearly as he furrowed his brow in thought. "Are you claustrophobic?"

"No," said Mara firmly, looking at him and praying this meant he'd let her lay beside Jubal.

He nodded and resumed typing, not looking up as the top to the bio bed rose. "Wait."

"OK," she said, looking at Jubal anxiously and swallowing at how pale he looked.

"Now." Hank took his hand away from the keyboard. "I am sure that I need not emphasize how extremely fragile is his health at the moment. Do NOT jar him at any cost."

"OK." She nodded her head earnestly, wincing at another blast of horror and grief from the link.

Hank studied her for a moment, then stooped slightly and grabbed her by one arm and leg, lifting her easily and setting her on the far side of the wide bed. "Not too close. Only an arm over his waist at most," he cautioned.

"Kay," she said, shivering slightly. "I won't hurt him."

He nodded and reached over to gently pat her hand, then closed her inside the glass cover and watched the monitor for a few moments before walking away, leaving her in a warm, tiny, slightly humid place full of a soft silence broken only by Jubal's even breathing.

-Jubes, it's ok, I'm here,- she thought, still quivering from the nightmares, then touched his hand where it lay on the white sheet as she closed her eyes and trembled.

The tension around his closed eyes faded as the fear and pain was replaced by those snowflake touches that she'd felt earlier.

Mara smiled hesitantly, then gasped as she caught images of herself and a dark-haired baby sitting in the sunshine as Jubal lay and looked up at them with a contented smile.

She closed her eyes and looked more closely at the dream, feeling a sense of relief fill her heart. Her smile became genuine as she lightly rubbed his hand with her fingertips. Then she lay her head down and opened her eyes to see Stitch peering anxiously through the glass at them, Will and Creed shadows behind her.

Mara blinked, then smiled reassuringly, letting her little sister know that Jubal was in good hands.

Stitch nodded, then gave a little hop and scrambled up to perch her butt on the glass over Mara and Jubal's feet.

Mara smirked slightly at her sister-to-be, then smiled and nodded at the two guys beyond the glass's keep before she sighed and moved her face just close enough to Jubal's shoulder to feel his body heat, feeling utterly content as the baby gave a sleepy, cheerful wiggle and settled down with his mother to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

"Stitch! Don't make me hurt you!" screamed Mara, scowling up into the branches of the fig tree.

"Hah! Like ta see ya try. Not my fault yer so jumpy," came the giddy reply.

"You can't stay up there forever," Mara growled, looking up and wincing as the baby gave an angry kick in agreement. She put a hand on her belly to try and calm him. "You've even got the kid flustered!"

"Kin stay here longer than you kin wait ta pee!" retorted Stitch cheerfully from where she perched in the very top of the tree. Then she gave a rotten chuckle and dropped a shoe.

Mara dodged, then huffed. "I'm almost all water, kid, if I have to hold it I can!"

Stitch's only reply was another rotten chuckle and the other shoe.

"What's goin' on in here?" Cain's voice boomed out so suddenly that Mara very nearly proved herself a liar.

She spun around, then blinked and managed to shrug indifferently. "I dunno, why?"

The big man frowned down at her, then looked up into the tree. "Yer supposed to be in class if ya ain't in the medlab."

"Whatever." Stitch climbed higher.

"Woah!" said a child's voice from behind Cain. "Stitch, come on. You're gonna get hurt."

"Ah, yeah." Mara grinned evilly, seeing her chance for revenge. "See? You have t' come down." Then she blinked and looked at the small, green, fish-like boy that had been standing behind Cain. "Who're you?"

He looked up at her with large goggle eyes. "I'm Sammy. You're Mara, right?"

"Get down here, Stitch," said Cain wearily. "Ya know 'Ro don't like ya climbin' her trees."

"Yeah, I'm Mara," she said, tilting her head and looking the boy up and down. "You breath underwater?"

"Yeah. I'm the Squidboy." He scratched where his nose should have been with one webbed finger, then looked up as Cain decided to shake the tree. "Oh oh."

"Wait, Cain, you're gonna kill it!" gasped Mara, yanking at his immobile arm. "Don't mess up 'Ro's jungle!"

"Whoops." He stopped and took his hands off the trunk hurriedly, his expression full of surprised chagrin as he turned toward the door. "Um, okay. I'll just go get Chuck."

Mara shook her head as a burst of laughter came from above. "Go t' class, kid, before they levitate you outta that tree."

Stitch gave her a Bronx cheer.

Mara shrugged at her, then walked over to the pool and stroked the heads of the fish that popped out to greet her. "Fine; stay. I'm gonna have fun watchin' this."

"Where's Ruh?" Sammy asked, looking up into the branches.

Mara glanced up as Stitch's laughter abruptly cut off, then winced as the girl took a flying leap out of the tree and crouched sadly at its base.

"Dunno," said the young clone forlornly. "Ain't seen 'er since Jubes got hurt."

"Aw man." Sammy's strange face puckered. "Do you think she's hiding out? Logan used to do that all the time."

"Dunno," whispered Stitch, reaching for her shoes and pulling them back on, then standing. "If Juggy comes back tell 'im I'm in Math." She heaved a shaky sigh and loped out of the room.

"Ruh's gone?" Mara said, eyebrows shooting up as she looked at Sammy. She'd been holed up in Jubal's bio bed for the last two days and this was news to her. She felt a guilty tug at her heart, but shoved it away impatiently. There was no reason for her to feel guilty, she'd been caring for the man she loved.

"Yeah." Sammy walked over and hunkered down to look at the fish, his eyes lighting. "Hi, Inazuma."

"What?" Mara frowned. Did fish have names? In the ocean only dolphins and their kin had names. Well, and Atlantians.

"Inazuma." Sammy pointed to the biggest fish, who turned its head to look at his hand. "That's her name. She's a pearl scale koi, but I can't remember what her markings are called."

"Oh," said Mara, looking at the fish and arching an eyebrow at the feeling that she was being reintroduced to an old friend. "Inazuma, huh? So you do have a name, jungle fish."

"She's not a jungle fish," said Sammy, gently stroking the sparkling head. "She's from Japan."

"Like I know where Japan is." Mara made a face, then sighed and smiled. "But I'm not gonna argue. I can't prove you wrong."

Sammy looked at her uncertainly, then started slightly as another koi, this one scaleless and with red and blue markings on its white skin, nibbled curiously at his fingers. "Woah, watch it, Uncle Sam."

Mara smirked at the name, then turned as TJ came to crouch next to her. "Hey."

"Hey." The furry indigo girl grinned. "How's Jubes?"

"Stoned." Mara shook her head. "He's talkin' to Charles."

TJ nodded and stared sightlessly at the fish for a few minutes, her golden eyes focused on things that Mara couldn't see, then looked up. "So when's the big day?"

"What day?" The aqua punk frowned. "When Jubal gets up? I dunno, Hank says he's getting better but it's still gonna take a little while until he's good enough to get out..."

"No." TJ's face creased with disbelieving amusement. "The wedding. Munkee said you and Jubes are engaged."

"Oh," said Mara, slightly embarrassed. "I...I don't know. I don't even really know...anything, really. I never exactly went to school about it. Is it...is it really a big deal?"

"Yes," said TJ, sadness once more making her look older. "It's a promise to love and take care of one another for as long as you live. Yes, it's a very big thing."

"Yeah..." Mara said softly. She'd known it was a bond of love, but she didn't know anything else. Something told her this girl knew, however, and she wanted to know about the journey she'd be taking with Jubal. "What's...what's it like? The wedding?"

"It depends," murmured TJ, her eyes once more staring past the fish. "It can be a big ceremony with five or six bridesmaids, like you see on TV; or it could be just a man and a woman and two good friends to stand by them..." Her voice dropped further as tears made dark streaks down her cheeks. "Or it can be two kids, lost in a strange reality, making a pledge that they never dreamed that they wouldn't be able to keep.

Mara reached out carefully and touched her shoulder, then blinked. "How old are you?"

"Twenty two," said TJ absently. "I was sixteen the first time I was married."

"First?" said Mara, biting her lip and tilting her head to one side.

"Yeah," TJ nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "His name was John Proudstar. We'd made the promises, and we were expecting a baby, but then John went up against Galactus and there was an explosion. John ended up in a coma, and when it came time for the team to move on the Timebroker just replaced him with someone else and abandoned him."

"Oh, well that was evil." Mara frowned, wishing she knew how to be more sensitive. "I mean...that must've been... I'm really sorry."

TJ looked up at her again, then sighed and put an arm around her shoulders. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn' be dumping this junk on you."

"It's ok." Mara shrugged slightly. "I don't mind, really."

"Yeah, but you don't need it." TJ took her arm back and sighed again.

"No, I'm fine. I mean, everything's sort of figuring itself out as it goes." Mara shrugged, then frowned. "What...what happened to the baby?"

TJ folded small, resting her head on her knees, then looked around as someone cleared their throat nervously.

Mara frowned and looked too, raising her eyebrows at the rattled-looking brown-haired guy that stood behind them before turning back to her friend.

"I'm sorry," she said to TJ softly, realizing she was only pressing on a painful topic and berating herself silently for it. Then she glanced back at the newcomer. "Who're you?"

"We're Slime," he said, gulping. "Fox wants you."

"Fox?" Mara brightened and got to her feet, offering a hand to TJ. "You wanna come?"

"You know this guy?" asked the indigo girl slowly, wiping her eyes on her arm and eyeing him suspiciously. "Who's Fox?"

"Yeah, he's alright," said Mara, smiling at him reassuringly. "I met Fox at Hell a little while ago, when Jubal an' I all went there for lunch."

"And you have some kind of appointment?" TJ looked at her and quirked an eyebrow.

"Hurry!" blurted Slime. "It might have come already, and then she'll kill us!"

"What?" Mara's eyebrows shot up. "What's coming? Is she ok?"

"The baby." He shivered. "We've got a taxi outside. Where's Wolverine?"

"Jubes can't come," said Mara unhappily, mentally poking their link. "He got hurt a couple days ago."

-Chica?- The sleepy mental query was muted and fuzzy from the painkillers, but full of affection.

-How are y' doin'? Slime just showed up, Fox is having her baby and wants us to come,- said Mara, blushing at the love he was sending her. -Is it okay if I go? You'll be okay?-

He gave a little wordless grumble, then a mental sigh. -Sure, Boots is here, 'n Stitch'll be cutting outta class pretty soon, so I should be okay to sleep.- He sighed again wistfully. -I'll miss you.-

-You sure? I don't have t' go,- Mara said, frowning.

-Fox don't got that many friends. She'd be disappointed.- She felt a start and 'heard' a punchy giggle. -#$+&, I'm hallucinatin' again. Wee...-

-Kay...- Mara frowned and blinked at the rush of euphoria that came through the link, then shook herself reluctantly. "Ok, Slime, I'm good t' go."

He frowned. "What happened to Wolverine?"

"Wol...? You mean Jubes?" Mara stared, then shook herself slightly. "He...he had an accident. He can't come, he's still too weak."

Slime's brown eyes went wide and sad. "He tried again..."

"No, no," said Mara harshly, then softened her tone. "No...he was workin' on a car an' it fell on him. He...he promised me he wouldn't try #$+& like that again."

Slime looked up hopefully. "He did? Good! Maybe he'll be an X-Man again and try to beat us senseless when we cut up on Main Street."

"Ooo-kay," said TJ softly.

Mara grinned, then frowned and looked towards the door. "We better hurry or we'll miss it."

"#$+&, no!" Slime paled. "Come on! Oh, do you have money for the cabbie? We're broke."

"C'mon." Mara grabbed TJ's hand and pulled her out of the conservatory, shooting a glance at the boy. "Um...no. I've ben in the ocean for the last few years, I'm as broke as you."

"I have some," said TJ, frowning at Slime as he hopped up to the ceiling and skittered toward the front door.

"I'll pay you back," Mara said thankfully.

"Don't worry about it," responded TJ absently.

"No, I will," Mara said, still pulling the other blue girl along with her.

"It's ok." TJ frowned.

Mara nodded, grimacing slightly as she came into the foyer and saw the yellow taxi through the open front door. Grumbling slightly, she walked out and forced herself into the car, then looked for TJ and Slime.

"What is she waiting for?" asked the young symbiotic lifeform from the front seat, pulling the seatbelt around himself and looking anxiously at TJ, who was standing on the doorstep and looking inside.

"Dunno." Mara looked up from doing her own belt and patted her belly as it protested, then quirked a slight grin as Cain came out and gathered her friend into a quick hug before handing her a couple of winter jackets and watching her run toward the cab.

"No mutant funny business," warned the cabbie in an easy-going voice. "Stay human, no zaps, explosions, or water. Got it?"

"Won't do anythin', sir, I swear," said Mara, then added under her breath, "'Cept get carsick."

The cabbie handed her a plastic bag, then glanced over his shoulder at TJ, who grumbled and cursed as she struggled to untangle the other seatbelts. "Good to go?"

"Yeah. Let's go," she said, brightening as the webbing came loose and quickly pulling it over her lap.

The cabbie pulled the car into gear and backed down the driveway, then turned and started forward. "You two ladies sisters?"

"No," Mara said softly, absently pulling on the jacket that TJ handed her. "Just friends."

"Oh. Well, ya sure look like sisters." He pulled out of the driveway and started off at the usual New York city cab speed.

"Thanks," Mara mumbled, curling up in her seat and avoiding looking out of the window.

The trip proved mercifully short, due to Jubal's state of mind. Even with the steadily increasing distance between them she could still feel his wry amusement at whatever the morphine was making him see, and share his contentment as he sank into a dream of snuggling she and the baby.

She was roused by a gentle poke from TJ and sat up to look out the window and see that the cab was sitting outside a rusted, torn, chainlink fence that surrounded a pitted vacant lot with run-down factories on either side of it.

"We're here?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes and stretching slightly, then looking at Slime. "This is where you guys live?"

He gave her a spooked glance, then shook his head. "No. We live with the Morlocks."

"Okay." TJ put her credit card back into her wallet and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. "Let's go."

"Yes!" Slime threw his door open and bounded out, clinging to the fence and looking upward.

TJ quirked one eyebrow, then glanced at Mara and got out herself.

The aquatic girl followed her out, then followed Slime's gaze upward and blinked at the glowing figure that hovered overhead. "What the #$&?"

"You need me ta wait?" called the cabbie, leaning down to look out the passenger side window.

"No. We're good, thanks," said TJ, also looking upward. "Slime, who's that?"

"That's Ghost. She watches this place," he said as the cab drove away.

"Ok," said Mara, wrapping her arms around her stomach and frowning pensively at the girl, who appeared to be wearing a wedding dress and striped toe socks.

Ghost cocked her head, crested hair glinting softly in the sunlight, then swooped low and looked at them from the other side of the fence.

"We brought them, Wolf," said Slime.

"Great," came the distracted voice of the young cook. "Ghost, bring 'em in."

The glowing girl ululated softly, then beckoned with her hand and swooped toward the big empty crater in the center of the lot.

TJ glanced at Mara, then followed hesitantly, only to stop so shortly that the aqua punk ran into her as they suddenly found themselves standing in the shadow of another ramshackle factory that hadn't been there a moment before.

Mara blinked, then looked around and rubbed her eyes. "Whoa, what just happened?"

"Ghost let you see," said a child's voice from the shadow of a pile of rubble, and a little boy with a dirty face and messy black hair stood up. "Is one'a you Mara?"

"Yes," said TJ. "This is Mara. I'm her friend. What's your name?"

"Repeat," he said, frowning up at her. "Lemme go make sure it's okay fer ya t' come in."

TJ watched him run away, then turned back to Mara. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," said the water girl automatically, holding her stomach again. "It's just, you know, different than what I know."

The garishly-painted front door opened again and disgorged a little girl who looked to be the first child's twin. "Wolf says get yer #$&+ in here already," she reported, giving her tattered, oversized pink sweatshirt a tug.

Then another child pushed out beside her, shifting one of the toddlers that Mara had seen earlier at Hell on her hip. "Pete, be nice. This is Fox's friend."

Pete turned a scowl on her. "So? She ain't Army."

The girl holding the baby kicked her on the butt so that she stumbled out of the way, then met her with a fist as she came back swinging.

"Oh #$&!" said Repeat. "Just step over 'em and come on in."

TJ glanced at Mara with an eyebrow quirked.

"I guess it's their way of keeping check on each other." The water girl shrugged, a grin tugging at her lips as she and her friend followed their small guide down a narrow hallway liberally decorated with graffiti.

"Keeping check on each other?" TJ stopped and looked around as they came out into a vast, echoing room dotted with broken machinery and shelters made from blankets and boxes.

"Sure. You respect whoever can push you around. Basic food chain." Mara shrugged, looking around in wonder, noticing small heads and figures ducking out of sight behind the shelters and pillars.

"Nah, Pete's just a bossy #$&," said Repeat candidly, rubbing his shoulder, which sported a vicious bruise.

"Huh." Mara snorted softly, then shrugged. "If you say so."

"I know," he said solemnly. "She's my twin sister."

Ghost ululated and swooped low, brushing Mara's head with the hem of her gown, then rose again and pointed toward a metal mesh staircase that led to an overhead catwalk and office.

The tall aquatic nodded, then suddenly noticed how uncomfortable TJ looked and went back to take her hand. "It's ok, TJ. You wanna go back?"

The furry indigo girl shook her head, her glowing eyes creasing in an uncertain frown. "No. I'm good."

"Mara?" called Wolf's voice from overhead. "You 'n yer friend just come on up. Don't let the kids stop ya."

"Comin'," she called back, then looked at TJ. "You sure? Alright. Let's go."

Her friend followed, exchanging glances with the kids who peered at them watchfully. "None of them is over ten," she murmured softly.

"Maybe physically," muttered Mara, carefully averting her gaze. She knew what it was to grow up too fast, and she didn't like seeing the troubles of her own past reflected on these kids' faces.

"Hey," said Wolf from above them.

"Hey, man," said Mara, looking up with a grin. "How's Fox?"

"She's good." He grinned back, icey blue eyes dancing under his brown forelock. "Little worried Baby'd get here before you did."

"Well, we're here." Mara, shrugged. "Why'd she want me here anyhow?"

"Said ya needed t' see this." He shrugged and looked at TJ. "Hey, I'm Wolf."

"TJ Marko...I mean..." She shot Mara a wry look. "Yeah."

"TJ Marko?" The water girl looked at her wide-eyed, then shook her head, not wanting to pry if she wasn't supposed to know.

"Yeah." TJ rubbed a hand over her braids sheepishly. "It's a long story. But it's Marko now."

"That's cool." Mara nodded, then went up the stairs, still aware Fox was having a baby somewhere around here and that she was supposed to be there.

"Come on up," said Wolf, turning and leading them along the catwalk. "She's in the office. Oh, and she's not wearing that much, so don't be freaked."

Mara arched one eyebrow, then followed in silence until he stepped through the open door to a largish room decorated with old couch cushions, magazine pictures, and a cardboard Spock.

Fox turned from where she'd been pacing in front of the windows and shot her a slightly preoccupied grin. "Hey, girl."

"Hey," said Mara, suddenly feeling very out of place. "You ok?"

Fox rubbed her belly and grimaced slightly, then tugged on the faded, sleeveless men's dress shirt that she was wearing and grinned broadly. "Oh yeah. Just a few more minutes 'n I'll be able t' walk again."

"What's...what's goin' on?" Mara said uneasily, though she was comforted by how calm her friend appeared.

"Whaddya mean?" Fox quirked an eyebrow at her quizzically, then rubbed her belly again and resumed pacing.

"Like, with the baby." Mara blinked and rubbed the back of her neck. "Does it hurt?"

"Lil bit." Fox shrugged and paused to look over Wolf's shoulder at the car magazine he'd picked up after flopping down on a pile of cushions. "Stubbed toe feels worse."

"Really?" said Mara nervously.

"Why would I #$&+ you?" asked Fox absently, then glanced at her with a slight grin.

"Sorry," Mara said sheepishly. "I didn't think you would. I just don't know."

Fox gave a throaty chuckle, then stopped with an odd look on her face. "Okay, Wolf. Here she comes."

He pitched the magazine aside and got up as she crouched down. "K. Ready."

Mara moved back to TJ, glancing at the older girl to make sure she wasn't completely freaking out, like Mara really wanted to do but couldn't let herself. Then she turned back and watched with wide eyes as Fox and Wolf's daughter slid into the world and clenched her little fists in disgust as her proud papa wrapped her in a threadbare towel and handed her to her mama.

Mara stared, then shivered. "Didn't that hurt at all?" she said in a breathless gasp, her eyes fixed on the new baby girl as the infant snorted and growled, then sneezed.

"Yeah." Fox sighed and nuzzled her newborn, letting her husband move her to the pile of cushions he'd been sitting on. "Heh, she's got my hair."

"Aren't you going to cut the cord?" asked TJ, shivering as she too stared at the baby.

"After the other thing comes out," said Wolf from where he hovered at Fox's shoulder, his grin threatening to split his face as he watched his tiny daughter nurse.

"Other thing?" said Mara weakly, still staring at the infant.

"Uh huh," said Wolf absently.

Fox turned her head and smiled drowsily at the two girls. "Come on closer. Don't you wanna see her?"

Mara nodded and tentatively stepped forward, only managing to get a couple feet away before her nerves gave out and she froze.

"Come on," coaxed her friend, hazel eyes narrowed in contentment as a soft, warm thrum filled the air.

"I just...don't wanna hurt her, you know," mumbled Mara, coming closer and then hunkering down to look at the child, her eyebrows raising in amazement.

"You won't hurt her." Fox chuckled, then frowned and grimaced. "Okay. Wolf, you got the knife?"

"Yeah." He reached over and pulled a plastic-handled steak knife out of a bottle of rubbing alcohol. "Wanna have Mara do it?"

"Sure." Fox sighed and grinned at her. "You cut the cord. Don't worry about it bleeding, it won't."

"C...cut the c-cord?" Mara suddenly felt terrified and light-headed despite the comforting air of her friend's presence. "N-no, I don't know how and I might do it wrong and..."

"Cut the #$&+ cord!" snarled Fox, eyes narrowing sternly.

"Ok." Mara gulped, then looked at Wolf. "Sh-show me?"

"Just grab it 'n cut it 'bout an inch from 'er belly," he said, still holding out the knife.

"Ok." Mara took it and inhaled deeply before doing as bidden.

"There." Fox beamed down at her newborn. "Yer free. No more bein' tied t' Mama." She sighed and nuzzled the baby's wispy red hair. "Yer name's Mara."

Mara's throat caught and she sat back, hearing TJ gasp behind her. "Not really?"

"Why not? Yer my friend, 'n yer the one that sent her off." Fox rolled onto her side as Wolf stood and started to clean up. "Wanna hold 'er?"

Mara stared, not knowing how to react to such a sign of friendship, but then found herself reaching out and taking the baby. "She's gonna be smarter then me." She snorted.

Fox wrinkled her nose. "Guess we'll see when she hits nineteen." Then she glanced at TJ and dropped her voice. "Let yer friend hold 'er too, it looks like she needs it."

Mara smiled down at the thoughtful look on her new Goddaughter's face, then turned and nodded to TJ. "C'mere, girly."

TJ blinked at her, then scrubbed at the tear tracks on her facial fur with the back of one hand. "No."

Fox growled softly, causing baby Mara to go wide-eyed and still, then propped herself up on one elbow. "Y' gonna just let the past wreck the rest'a yer life? Or y' gonna kick it over the hill 'n start livin' again?"

TJ froze and stared at her, then squared her jaw and narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Give her."

Mara smiled at her and handed the baby over carefully, glad that her friend was willing to open up a little. The fuzzy girl looked like she needed to be around something this pure.

TJ took little Mara carefully, then stared down at her with eyes gone wide and dark before holding her close and starting to shake with sobs.

"#$&," said Fox, crawling over and putting an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, t' cry, girl. Let it out. It's okay."

Mara shrank out of the way and tried to look strong for her friend, knowing the kind of pain she must be feeling and feeling glad that there was someone here who knew what to do. She watched as Fox murmured comfort, one hand straying to her belly as her baby gave several angry wacks to the inside of it, then started as someone banged on the office door and Wolf got up with a growl to answer it.

"Fox's dad's here!" yelped a young voice from the other side of it.

"What?" Wolf frowned. "Why?"

"His girlfriend says family's supposedta be there when a new kid comes," said the unseen child.

"They are?" Wolf turned to look at Mara.

"Girlfriend?" Fox looked up, eyes gleaming with interest.

"Yeah," Mara said slowly, then looked at the door again. "Is Goldie here too?"

Wolf went out for a few minutes, then came back looking awed. "He's with a winged chick 'n two kids. One's the baby he had at Hell."

Mara couldn't help grinning at his words. "Yeah, she's his girlfriend. The baby's Goldie."

"That's Brownie? The one that was lost?" asked Fox, still comforting TJ.

"Yeah." Mara nodded. "She's Goldie's mum too."

"Is the family usually around? In normal families?" asked Wolf, glancing at his wife.

"Yeah, they try to be," said TJ softly, wiping her eyes and smiling down at baby Mara.

Wolf frowned thoughtfully. "You want 'im here, Babe?"

"Sure." Fox gave him a lazy, smug smile, then glanced longingly toward her bed of cushions.

TJ noticed and handed the baby back quickly. "You need to rest."

"Not as bad as you needed that cry, girl." Fox stroked her hair in a motherly way, then let Wolf carry her back to the bed and cover her up with an old quilt.

"I'm gonna go say hi." Mara grinned at the redhead and hopped to her feet, then brushed herself off and slipped through the door.


	13. Chapter 13

The little kid, a boy with metallic hair, looked up at her with wide, shining eyes, then grinned and went back to peering through the mesh of the catwalk. "Lookit. Frankie 'n Mattie 'n Logan 'n Benjie 'n Brucie like 'em."

Mara looked down, then hung over the railing to see Creed hunkered down in earnest conversation with his grandsons while Goldie glomped onto little Logan and babbled earnestly. Sturmjäger crouched next to her fiancé, watching with perked ears and a contented attitude.

"Hey, you guys," Mara called down, walking to the stairs and sitting on the top of the landing, one hand grabbing the railing to keep herself from falling off. "Was Jubal ok when you left?"

Creed looked up and grinned, one brawny arm gathering the little boys to his chest. "Yeah. Passed out with Stitch."

"Mawa!" shrieked Goldie, letting go little Logan to look around. "Mawa?"

Mara's eyes went wide and she stared down at the baby. "When did that happen!"

"Just now," said Sturmjäger, picking up the scowling baby Logan and cuddling the little redhead close. "Does Fox know ve're here?"

Creed shifted uncomfortably. "Like I say, darlin', she might not want us around. 'Er instincts 'er gonna be runnin' wild right now."

"Mawa!" insisted Goldie, waving her arms and looking up eagerly.

"Nah, she's in a real good mood," said Mara, going down the stairs and hunkering down by the golden baby girl. "Hey kid, I'm right here."

Goldie gave a squeal of delight, then bounced on her bottom, asking to be picked up.

"I guess you're her auntie now," said Sturmjäger, twitching her ears in her own version of a smile. Little Logan gave a tiny growl from her arms.

"Are they comin' or what?" called Wolf from above.

Mara scooped Goldie up and cuddled her close, then started as she realized she'd just aquired another little girl to be able to 'officially' care about.

"C'mon, it's a girl," she said, blinking.

"Use the stairs," cautioned Creed, reaching up to put a hand on his fiancée's arm.

"I remember #$&+head," she growled, then meeped and pulled baby Logan's hand out of the front of her halter top. "No. That's my roll of lifesavers."

Logan growled at her, then squirmed free and toddled for the stairs.

"Woah!" Her red-haired brother broke free of the group glomp on Creed and grabbed her, then started to try and lug her up them despite her kicking and screaming.

"Here." Creed swooped in and lifted both children, carrying them easily up the stairs.

"Bite him," Mara whispered, grinning mischievously as she followed.

"She already did." Sturmjäger snorted and gave the last few little boys a lift.

"Woah! Woah!" Wolf retrieved his shrieking daughter and held her close. "Ouch! #&+$, Logan, it's Dad! Cool it!"

The tiny redhead froze and looked up at him with wide blue eyes, then started babbling woefully.

"Yeah." Wolf cracked a grin, then looked up at Creed. "Hey. She's waitin' for ya."

"Dittyda," commented Goldie, cuddling under Mara's chin.

"Yeah, I know," the water girl chuckled, rubbing her back as she watched Creed put the little boys down and tiptoe toward the office.

"What's 'e scared'a?" Wolf looked at her quizzically.

"Instinct," said Sturmjäger soberly. "'N 'e just lost a baby meisje, too. This ain't gonna be too fun for 'im."

Wolf quirked an eyebrow at her, then quirked the other one. "Lost a baby which?"

"Girl," she translated, wrapping herself in her wings and putting her ears back as Creed went into the room.

Mara frowned and wondered who he'd lost, then nuzzled Goldie and shivered slightly, feeling bad for the big mutant.

"Mara?" A small hand touched her side, and she glanced down into Dandelion's big eyes.

"Hey girl." Mara smiled and shifted Goldie to one arm, then knelt briefly to catch Dandelion under the bum and hoist her up as well.

The slender nine year old giggled and wrapped strong arms around her neck, then lay her head on her shoulder and looked down at Goldie, who gazed back contentedly.

"He's cryin'," said Wolf softly, turning and slipping into the office himself.

"Dittydittyda," whispered Goldie, shivering slightly and reaching out to take a handful of Dandelion's hair in her pudgy hand.

"He'll be okay," the older girl whispered back. "He's not so sad about Sadie now."

Mara smiled to herself and hugged both girls a little tighter, then sat down. "He'll be ok. Sometimes people just cry." Then she arched an eyebrow and looked down at Dandelion. "Who's Sadie?"

"She was Uncle Vic's baby. I helped him take care'a her till she died." The little girl reached up and gently disengaged Goldie's fingers from her hair, then held her little foster sister's hand. "She was sick. Uncle Vic wanted ta go t' jail after she died, but Ruh told him that I needed him."

"Oh." Mara's frown deepened. "Well, it's a good thing he's still around, huh? And now he's got a new daughter, and a granddaughter too."

Dandelion nodded. "Yeah. He gots lots more babies now. 'N big kids too. Like you."

"Me?" Mara huffed, shaking her head. "No way. I ain't his kid."

"Why not?" asked Sturmjäger from where she sat on the walkway railing behind them.

"No..." Mara said uncomfortably, shifting her weight and automatically scowling. "No, I'm not. He's not my old man; my old man's long gone."

"So then you need a new one," said the winged woman practically as Dandelion's eyes went huge in dismay.

"I do not!" snapped Mara, her defenses shooting up as her stomach gave a disagreeable kick. She ignored it and held Dandelion close, chest heaving with inexplicable anger.

"But he loves you," said the little girl softly, pushing away to look at her face appealingly. "And you're an orphan, so he can take you into his family. Do you like someone else for a dad?"

"No!" said Mara, but she lowered her voice so she wasn't shouting at the girl in her arms. "My dad's dead, but I have a family, in the ocean. I don't have another family, except Jubal. That's it! Jubal and the baby. I don't need a new father or anybody else!"

Dandelion's face went blank and she wriggled free, then lifted Goldie into her arms and ran down the stairs to vanish into one of the blanket shelters.

Mara watched her go in minor shock, then stood up slowly and jerkily, only to fall back into her seated position as her shoulders trembled. "I didn't mean to hurt her feelin's," she said shakily.

"Stitch thinks yer her sister," said Sturmjäger softly. "'N Donnie loves ya too. Y'better tell 'em y'don't need 'em before they git too attached t' ya."

"I didn't...that ain't what I..." Mara stood and kicked the railing angrily. "That's not what I meant. #$+& it! Ever since I came to the stupid school everything's been so complicated! First there was Jubal, then Donnie and Stitch and then there was Creed and Goldie and Dandelion and TJ and Fox... And now there's Mara too! What did I do to deserve this? Why's it all been thrown at me? It wasn't supposed to be like this, ever..."

Hands gently but relentlessly pulled her away from the railing and drew her close to a warm chest, then massive wings enveloped her in a cocoon of safety and comfort.

"Y'jus' got in the vrong place at the vrong time," said Sturmjäger softly, pushing her chin up to look into her eyes. "Y'can't escape love, liebling."

Mara resisted for a moment, but then succumbed to the warmth and security of the woman's embrace and began to sniffle. "It sucks."

Sturmjäger rubbed her back as the sniffles became tears. "Vhat sucks? Making people happy just by valking into the room they're in? Knowing that somebody's gonna catch ya if y' fall down? That y' don't need t' be alone no more?"

Mara felt her legs give out as she started to sob, the sadness seeming to rip out of her.

Everything had changed; from the first night she'd arrived at the mansion she'd had an untold number of people bonding with her and breaking through her defenses as if they were no more solid than the water she loved so much. She had never thought she deserved a family, especially after she'd killed those two little girls; but now she was a wife-to-be, mother, sister, and daughter? Her head and emotions felt like they were caught in a whirlwind, and she was so dizzy she wasn't even completely sure what was going on anymore.

A soft blow to her cheek snapped her eyes open and she stared at Sturmjäger in bleary shock, then wrapped her arms around the winged woman and clung desperately.

"I got ya," Sturmjäger rubbed her back gently. "Shh, liebling. I got ya."

"I know!" Mara moaned miserably, burying her face in the woman's shoulder and giving in to the tears again.

-Mara? Mara! Chica?- came a frantic mental call. -Darlin' what's wrong? Ow, Hank, you #$+&...-

-Jubal!- Mara's tears stopped immediately as she jerked in Sturmjäger's grasp. -No, be careful! Don't get upset, it's nuthin', really!-

-You're cryin'.- The mental touch was faint and pained. -Did somethin' happen ta Fox?-

Mara gasped, then sighed. -No! No! No, she's fine. Healthy girl. No, I was jus'... I'm fine.-

-No yer not. Chica...gonna...kill...Hank...- The sending faded away into the background buzz of dreams.

"Mara?" asked Sturmjäger pushed her away slightly and looked at her.

-I'll help you with that,- thought Mara, smiling slightly and listening to the buzz for a moment before she opened her eyes and looked at the winged woman. "I'm ok, it was Jubal, I was just talking to him, he woke up."

"Y' said 'e vas upset." The bottomless brown eyes searched her face. "I kin hear vhen y' talk in yer throat."

"Oh." Mara blushed. "He...he heard me cryin' and got worried, an' Hank did somethin' to stop him from doin' somethin' and he was upset for a minute, but he's asleep again now."

Sturmjäger nodded, then flicked her ears back toward the door to the office. "Ve are yer family. Yer hurts hurt us, yer happiness makes us grin, there's nothin' y'kin do t change that now, liebling."

Mara looked down and folded her arms across her chest, then looked down at the tents below them. "I just don't know how it all happened... It's like every time I blink there's somebody else. I was gonna spend my years in the ocean, and not know anybody ever again..."

"'N I vas gonna be the loner rebel #$+& vhen my family called me crazy 'n threw me out," said the older woman gently. "God had other ideas."

"You really think he's in charge?" asked Mara softly, looking at her with shining crystal eyes. "The good and bad and everything?"

Sturmjäger nodded again. "Ja. Know it. 'N there'd be a #$+& of a lot more good stuff goin' down if people'd quit bein' #$+&heads 'n listen t' 'Im."

"But why does He let all the #$+& happen then?" demanded Mara. "I mean, even when people mean well...'r as well as could be expected..."

"He don't force people t' listen." Sturmjäger flicked her ears again. "Don't butt in vhere 'E ain't vanted."

"Huh," said Mara. She rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. "But He still decides whether or not to make our existences ironic."

"Vhat's ironic?" The winged woman put her ears back suspiciously, her tail wrapping around her waist over her worn jeans.

"I lost a family, killed a family, did my best to lose a family, and now I'm gettin' stuck with one I never saw comin'," Mara grunted. "That's ironic."

"That's second chances," countered Sturmjäger evenly. "That's love."

"Whose love?" Mara muttered to herself, then scrubbed at her eyes angrily. "Nothing, forget it. I'm just talking... I'm just tired."

"God's love." Sturmjäger pointed her ears down toward the tent that Dandelion had carried Goldie into. "Givin' us vhat ve don't deserve. You don't haveta take it. I nearly threw avay my second chance."

"Huh, emphasize the don't deserve," Mara grunted. "Wonder how Fox n' Creed are doin'?"

"She's fallin' asleep 'n he's bein' protective." Sturmjäger's ears twitched. "I think me 'n Vic'll be stayin' 'round here t'night."

"Mara?" TJ appeared in the doorway of the office. "Fox wants to talk to you."

"Ok." The water girl bowed her head under the weight of past regret that the conversation had brought up as she turned to walk past Sturmjäger. "I'm comin'."

A massive wing suddenly scooped her in and held her for a moment before releasing her. She turned to see Creed's fiancée leap over the railing of the catwalk and walk around a group of chatting teens toward the shelter Dandelion and Goldie were in.

Blinking, she continued on her way, feeling a little off balance from the hug but warmed and reassured. Despite her words otherwise the strange brown woman felt closer to a mother than anyone other than Logan had for a long time.

She half smiled at TJ as she walked past her into the room, then gasped as she suddenly came face to face with Creed.

The big blond man studied her with a thoughtful frown, then huffed softly and squeezed her shoulder before turning back to where Fox lay curled on the impromptu bed with her eyes closed.

The scene made Mara's smile even out slightly. "Hey," she said softly.

Fox stirred slightly and looked up at her with a broad, contented grin. "I guess you wanna get back t' Jubes. I just wanted ta say thanks for comin'."

"He's asleep again," said Mara, kneeling down next to her. "I can stay a little longer if you want."

"Asleep?" Fox's hazel eyes darkened with concern. "Somethin' wrong with 'im? Neko Lynn said 'e hardly ever sleeps."

"He had a car fall on him," Mara said hoarsely, dropping her eyes as her throat choked up at the memory of the awful scene that had followed. "He's still in rough shape, but he's getting better. Hank's keeping him asleep most the time so he has a chance to heal."

Fox reached over and patted her arm in rough sympathy. "#$+&, girl, why didn't you say somethin'? I wouldn'a bugged ya if I'd'a known."

"No, no, I'm glad I came," said Mara quickly, her hand straying toward her baby namesake's sleeping face. "I mean... It was great. Besides, Jubal still talks to me anyway, so I didn't really leave him alone."

"He's got the head talk thing?" Fox relaxed and closed her eyes, that warm thrumming swelling in the air around her.

"Yeah." Mara touching baby Mara's forehead and then pulled her hand back before nodding again. "I guess I do have to get back... Thanks again, Fox, and...the kid's cute."

"Give 'er a kiss 'n call 'er by name," said the small redhead without opening her eyes or pausing in her contented purr. "She's a person too."

Mara leaned forward, then lost her courage and pulled back, shaking her head in frustration. "Mara's cute," she mumbled as she got to her feet. "I'll see you later."

"See ya." Fox peered at her through slitted eyes and gave a smug mother cat grin, which widened as both Wolf and Creed came over and hunkered near her bed. "God bless, sister."

"Bye," said Mara softly, slipping out of the room and looking absently at TJ, her mind still on the mother and child in the room behind her.

"You're shivering." TJ put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her jacket closer around her. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm ok." Mara pulled away slightly, her hands fumbling as she gripped her jacket herself, feeling unable to cope with all of the care and support that this day had heaped upon her. Taking a deep breath, she offered the older girl a weak smile, then turned and strode toward the stairs. "C'mon. I wanna check on Dandi before we take off." She felt TJ coming up behind her and stopped so that her friend could walk beside her, noting the blue girl's distracted expression and the slight tremor of the tridactal hands in the pockets of the grey jacket. "You ok?" she asked, hating to see her friend upset.

"Probably about as ok as you." TJ gave her a faint smile.

"I'm sorry," Mara said softly, putting an arm around her shoulders. "We'll head back soon, I just want to make sure the girls are still here."

TJ nodded as they passed down the echoing stairs, then lightly leaped over Repeat, who was sitting on the bottom step hugging a threadbare stuffed animal that might have once been a pink teddy bear.

She looked back at the little boy as they walked toward the tent shelter, her face growing sadder. "This stinks."

"At least they have somebody to be with." Mara frowned. "Sometimes that's all ya need."

TJ only firmed the strong jaw that she'd inherited from her father and turned toward the shelter as Sturmjäger came out to meet them with Dandelion and Goldie snuggled in her wings.

"So they're ok?" Mara gave Dandelion an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, kid, you just caught me at a bad moment there."

The little girl flinched and hid her face against her honorary aunt's chest, arms curled between them as she hunched her shoulders and made herself as small as possible.

Sturmjäger looked down at her, then swept those massive wings aside and unceremoniously dumped her into Mara's arms.

"Dang," the tall aquatic whispered hoarsely as she felt the child go stiff with surprise and saw her face glimmering with new tears over the older streaks. "I'm sorry, girl, really. I didn't mean t' say I didn't want all of you as a family."

"Well you did," muttered Dandelion resentfully, not meeting her eyes. "'N I thought you liked me."

"I did! I mean, I do," said Mara, then swore and clutched the girl to her tightly. "I'm stupid. It isn't Goldie, it isn't the blond lug, an' it sure isn't you. I'm just stupid sometimes. You..." She swallowed and shivered. "You mean a #$+& of a lot ta me." She swallowed again, feeling like she was going to lose her lunch, then blinked and started as her baby suddenly booted her in the bladder and snuggled against Dandelion.

_Ugh, I'm really in for it now_, she thought to herself, putting her cheek against the little girl's head and sniffing slightly.

Dandelion remained stiff and silent for a few minutes, but then flinched as the baby gave a mighty boot and started bouncing.

"Meep." Mara swallowed a third time and felt her stomach give a slow spin.

"What was that?" asked Dandelion, her whole body going into frozen 'listening' mode.

"It's the baby," Mara said, feeling dizzy. "He likes playing with ya."

"The baby?" Dandelion pushed away slightly and looked down at her belly. "How can 'e play? He's not born yet."

"Tell him that." Mara smiled faintly. "Ugh, make it quick, too."

The little girl glanced up at her hastily, then squirmed free and put her face against her stomach. "Stop playin' so much, yer makin' yer mom sick."

There was a sudden stillness, then a gentle little tap and a snuggle.

-Mara?- came Jean's inner voice as Dandelion looked up at the aqua punk questioningly.

Mara smiled at her and gently pulled her close. "Thanks, kid. Now he's wantin' his snuggle time." -Yeah, Jean? Is everything ok?-

-I was just about to ask you the same thing. Sorry for the slip in my control. Dan just shoved a massive cockroach in my face.-

-Now yer shieldin' it too!- Mara's eyes flew open in anguish. -When I agreed t' keep the kid I said I could handle it! Can't you just shove off and leave me alone?-

-Jubal can feel your discomfort,- said the red-haired telepath gently. -If I don't shield you he tries to take it on himself, and he's in no shape to be nauseous right now.-

-He's so stupid,- Mara grumbled, but didn't press the subject. -Is he doing any better? What was he yelling at Hank for?- She stroked Dandelion's hair as the girl giggled softly at a light tap from the baby.

-Men generally are,- said Jean with amusement. -It's one of the reasons we love them. Yelling at Hank? Just a moment...- Her mental presence went away for a few minutes and then returned, feeling exasperated and frightened. -Jubal tried to get out of bed. Hank had to sedate him.-

-Oh,- thought Mara softly, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes closed. -No wonder he was so ticked.-

-He cares for you very much,- said Jean gently. -Will you be coming home soon? I've been keeping the dreams away, but it's easier when you or Stitch is with him.-

Mara glanced down regretfully at the little girl in her arms. -Yeah... TJ and I are on our way.-

-Alright.- Jean sent the feeling of a smile. -I'll see you when you get home.-

Mara nodded mutely, flinching and going wide-eyed at the word. _Home... #$+&!_

"Mara?" asked TJ softly. "What's wrong? Were you talking to someone from the School?"

"Yeah," said Mara, looking down at Dandelion's anxious face. "It's nothin' bad. I was just thinkin' about stuff."

Sturmjäger perked her ears and shifted the sleeping Goldie in her arms. "Y' goin' now?"

"Yeah," Mara said softly. "Jubal's gonna need me."

The winged woman twitched her ears gently, then opened one wing invitingly. "I'll see ya later, kid. There's somevone vaiting to take ya home."

Mara stepped close for a hug, then hoisted Dandelion up and put her in Sturmjäger's free arm. "Cool. Hey, TJ, you comin'?"

"Yeah," the indigo woman winced as Ghost flew over and a mad stampede started. "What the heck?"

"They're tryin' t' catch 'er so they can change 'er clothes," said Repeat from behind Mara. "But they prob'ly won't get 'er. She likes that dress."

"I see." TJ quirked an eyebrow.

Repeat grinned at her, then zipped over to meet a girl with bright pink hair who had just brought in several takeout bags.

Mara rubbed the back of her neck and then smoothed Dandelion's hair before turning reluctantly to her friend. "Let's hit the road, girly."

"'Kay." The older girl shook her head as every little kid in the place suddenly noticed the take out bags and started another stampede. "Good idea." She grinned at Sturmjäger and Dandelion, then turned and walked toward the door.

The aqua punk hurried after her, and the pair made their way out of the abandoned factory in near silence that was broken by the sudden thunder of a mighty purr.


	14. Chapter 14

"Hey, Mara!" Huge arms pressed her close to a furry chest.

"Oi! Fuzzbrain!" she yelped, overjoyed to see him but nervous about being squished. "Leggo or I'll kick ya in the shin!"

Roy stepped back, golden eyes looking a little hurt. "I was just glad ta see ya."

Mara's eyes went wide and she shook her head, then frowned and sighed. "It's not you, it's just...you know, the stomach. It's been getting bigger. I just wasn't expecting...you know, walking out of an abandoned building and getting mobbed by a furry rock star."

"Oh." He looked sheepish. "I forgot. Neko Lynn said not to squash you. Sorry."

"Yeah." Mara hesitated, but then hugged him tightly, almost disappearing into his fluffy cold-weather fur. Inwardly she marvelled at how much she'd been hugging other people lately, but she remembered what Sturmjäger had said to her earlier and knew she had no choice. She already loved these people too much to push them away anymore.

Roy returned the hug gently. "Hey, are you okay? Slime was freaked out of their brains when they said you were here."

"Why?" She frowned up at him, then went pale. "Is Jubal ok? He didn't... I mean, he's still here, isn't he?"

"What happened to Jubes?" Roy stiffened and put his ears back.

"You don't... nothing..." She stared at him for a moment, then felt her usual wash of half relief, half nervousness before her heart sank at the thought of having to tell the story again. "He...he was workin' on a car, and it fell on him. He...lost his leg and a lot of blood. He's getting better, but he's still in a bio bed...I'm sorry, I thought... I thought..." she choked on her words and hid her face in his warm fur, breathing in the frosty scent and trying to calm herself down.

"Oh man..." She felt the rumble of Roy's voice, then winced as his massive frame shook with a sob. "That really #$+& bites. How's he doin'...like, feeling-wise?"

Mara sniffed, then pulled away and wiped her nose. "He's ok, I guess. Still doesn't sleep well, but I'm usually there an' it's ok... He wants ta get better, though. We're...we're gettin' married. 'Cause the kid, you know."

She gave a shriek of surprise as a bellow of joy burst into the night and she found herself hoisted aloft and whirled around before being hugged again.

"That's freakin' great! Whoohoo! Awesome!" Roy grinned at her, his eyes alight as he set her gently on the ground again.

"Oh, ok," she said woozily, grabbing his arm and trying to regain her sense of up and down.

"Sorry," he rumbled softly, then shifted slightly. "Oh, um, hi, I'm Roy. Lead singer for the Lovely Dictators."

"TJ Marko," said TJ, her voice showing that she wasn't sure whether to be amused or alarmed.

"Teej..." Mara blinked, then regained her awareness and shook her head slightly. "Yeah, I mean, yeah. He's a friend of Jubes 'n Hank's. I met 'im the night Jubal n' I... went t' the club. Sorry."

TJ chuckled. "I think I might have heard of you at the School a couple times." She turned her eyes toward the two men who lurked quietly behind the big catman.

"Sorry," Mara said again, slightly frustrated with her forgetfulness. "That's Norm an' Raph. Norm's married to the keyboardist in the band n' Raph's a bouncer at Hell...right? Oh, and, um, hey guys."

Norm chuckled as Raph grinned silently. "Hey, Mara."

"We should get you guys home," said Roy. "The tunnels are freakin' cold right now, but I think I've got enough on me for the bus."

"Oh, ok," Mara said, blinking. "Thanks a lot."

"I have money," said TJ firmly. "I'll pay."

Roy paused in mid-turn to blink at her. "Oh, right. You guys are upworlders, I keep forgetting."

TJ quirked an eyebrow at him. "There are non-Morlocks who live life broke too."

"Yeah, overlanders. You two are upworlders. You've got a house 'n stuff," Roy explained good-naturedly as he turned to lead them away from the factory.

"Where do merpeople count in that? I didn't have a house or money at all, but I was in the ocean, not on the land," Mara asked curiously, looking up at him as they walked.

"Dunno, you're the only merperson I've met. But you live with Jubes now." He lifted the saggy gate and pulled it shut after them, then kicked some pieces of concrete against it to hold it up.

"Ok." Mara frowned to herself for a moment. Then she smirked as she thought of possible evil replies to being called an 'underwaterer' or something like that.

Roy glanced back as Raph and Norm spread out slightly to box TJ in protectively, then turned to scan the area around them, ears perked alertly as his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"You ok, big guy?" asked Mara, getting goosebumps as she saw how tense he was.

"Shh," he said absently, pausing and facing in one direction for several minutes before he relaxed and looked down at her. "Yeah, I was just checking to see who was around."

"Oh." Mara suddenly felt very glad for the presence of her big furry friend and the other men. "It's all clear?"

"There's a few guys over there watching us, but I already beat the #$+& outta a couple of 'em, so they shouldn't try anything." He booted a broken bottle out of the way. "It's gonna be a long walk."

"We can catch an East-West bus," said TJ.

"What's that? Oh, right, the busses here in the city." Roy nodded. "Okay, but there might be a few freakouts when the uplanders see Morlocks."

"Won't be too different when we're walking down their streets." Mara shrugged, wrapping her arms around her middle and looking up at the cloudy night sky.

"Yeah, you guys aren't pretty muties." He looked down at her anxiously. "That's just a name. You guys are both drop-dead gorgeous."

"Oh shut up." Mara rolled her eyes and hit him lightly on the arm. "I'm not a squid, but I ain't an angelfish either."

His ears perked. "No way! You're hot."

TJ snorted and snickered to herself softly.

"So are you." He looked over his shoulder, frowning earnestly.

"Fuzz-brain, one more word outta you an' I'll go Hulk on you," Mara warned, arching an eyebrow and raising a fist menacingly.

He stopped and looked disturbed, then glanced at Norm. "Did I say somethin' stupid?"

"You're not trying to hit on them or anything," said the human man. "TJ seems okay."

TJ shook her head and chuckled. "Mara, take the compliment before the fuzzy guy's brain overloads."

"HEY!" Roy frowned at her.

"I don't take compliments. You take it for me?" Mara said, batting her eyelashes at her friend and ignoring Roy's indignant outburst.

TJ shook her head and started walking, making the others follow. "Nope, that one's yours."

"Neko Lynn said she kinda wished she looked more like you," said Roy slowly. "She thinks you look good too."

"No she didn't. Neko Lynn looks awesome the way she is. You can't beat that look. I'm fish-girl, and nothing you or anybody else say is gonna change that, capeesh?" said Mara firmly, then stuck her hands in her pockets and made a horrible face at him.

"Yes she did," said Raph unexpectedly, causing Norm and Roy to stare at him in minor shock.

Mara turned around and looked at him too, then shrugged to herself. "I don't see why. Blue gets dull. Black's classy, and you know what? I'm through talking about this."

"NO!" bellowed Roy, snatching her and whirling her around again, eyes dancing with laughter. "YOU'RE GORGEOUS! SAY IT! SAY, 'I AM A FOX!' SAY IT!"

"NO!" Mara yelped in a mixture of fear and glee as she grabbed his arms. "There is no way, you stupid... PUMME DOWN!"

"SAY IT!" He laughed and spun her again, the braids in his mane swirling out behind him. "SAY IT, SAY IT, SAY IT!"

She grabbed his neck and gritted her teeth, then yelled, "ROY THINKS I'M A FOX! HAPPY NOW, YOU BIG OAF?!"

"NO! SAY 'I AM A FOX!'" He grinned at her, muzzle wrinkling and showing a flash of teeth.

"I did!" Mara snapped indignantly, kicking him in the belly. "You never said I couldn't put words before that!"

"SAY IT!"

"He's as bad as Jubes used to be," said TJ wonderingly during a break in the teasing racket.

"I won't!" Mara said, starting to forget the joke. Then she looked at the big mutant's eyes and saw to her shock that they were bright with tears. She cursed, then bit her lip. "I'm a water fox. That's as good as you're gonna get bub, put me down!"

He looked at her uncertainly, then pulled her close and rubbed his cheek against hers affectionately, purring fit to rattle her teeth.

Mara allowed herself to enjoy the embrace for a moment, but then became self conscious and started squirming. "Ok, ok! You made your point, you big lump of hair! Lemme go!"

He set her down carefully and she glanced around, surprised to realize that they'd continued traveling during the silliness and were now walking beneath streetlights.

"You never quit, do you?" she said, remembering the other times she'd seen him. "How is it every time I see you you end up picking me up an' cartin' me around?"

He gave her an innocently cheesy grin.

"Well I hope you don't expect the same when I sneak up on you, 'cause I am not picking you up, no matter what!" the aqua-girl informed him, jutting out her chin and sticking her hands back in her pockets. Then she glanced around at the few people on the street and reached up to pull out her hair elastic and smooth her hair over her ears, carefully making sure the tips didn't poke out. But then she looked at TJ as her friend came up to walk beside her, and realized that no one was going to notice her in the group she was with.

Still, she couldn't suppress the urge to pat her hair once in a while, the old survival habits making her keep her hands carefully still and closed so her webbing wouldn't be spotted even as she affected an air of utter indifference and annoyance. A few people in the increasingly populated streets shot the group angry looks, but no one dared challenge the two huge men or the slender, strutting women that they protected.

"What's that?" Roy sniffed and turned his head toward a tiny hole in the wall diner.

"Smells like Alfredo sauce," said TJ.

Roy wrinkled his forehead at her.

"Cream sauce for noodles." She looked through the window and raised an eyebrow. "Is anybody hungry?"

Mara watched through the window as the waitress walked away from the table of the visible mutant couple, then shrugged and folded her arms across her chest. "I dunno, but I think Walking Carpet is."

"Huh?" Roy looked down at her, oblivious to the thunder coming from his belly.

TJ glanced at her watch. "How's Jubes?"

"I dunno, still asleep I guess." Mara listened to the occasional warm burst of energy in the back of her mind. "Seems pretty tired, but he's ok."

"Wanna take some guys to dinner?" TJ's mouth twitched, then turned down slightly as someone bumped into Norm and nearly knocked him over.

"I'm alright." He straightened his shoulders and resumed his wondering gaze through the window.

"I dunno," said Mara, grinning mischievously. "Which guys were ya thinkin'? I don't know any."

"Well, here's one." TJ hooked her arm through Norm's and grinned at him. "I think his wife might like it if we sent him home fed."

"Do I have to take somebody?" Mara groaned, looking at Roy and Raph, then at TJ.

"I'll share." TJ's grin got rotten.

Roy looked back and forth between the women, then exchanged a blank glance with his friends. "We can eat here? Like at Hell? They cook it, and we sit at the table and eat it?"

"Guess so." Mara shrugged, then jerked her head and stuck her tongue out at TJ. "C'mon, Catman, Bodyguard, let's go get some grub."

"But we're not pretty..." Roy braced his feet. "Someone's gonna freak."

TJ shook her head and opened her mouth, but then blinked as the door swung open and the waitress stuck her head out.

"We've got a big table open, if that's what you're wondering," she said helpfully.

"It's alright, fuzz-brain, you look great." Mara rolled her eyes and smirked as she noticed that his fur was standing on end. "Besides, TJ's pretty enough t' get us in anywhere. Let's go eat."

"Okay." He gave her a tentative grin, then a more engaging one to the waitress, who chuckled and stepped aside to let them in.

"This is a lot smaller than Hell," he said as they followed the girl toward a big table in the back corner.

"Say what?" she looked back at him with a shocked expression.

"It's a club," he explained, then flinched and growled as someone gave a squeal.

"You're the guy from the Lovely Dictators!" A thin, black-clad teenage girl cried. "Oh man, that's my favorite band! They're the reason I'm a Christian!"

The waitress turned and looked Roy up and down, taking in the braided hair, black leather clothing, and huge buckled boots. "You're Christian?"

"No." Roy looked confused. "I'm a Morlock."

The waitress chuckled and glanced at Mara with twinkling eyes before showing them to their table and passing out menus.

"See, man? You're mug is pretty enough to get in here," said the water girl, relaxing in her seat and tugging at her own hair.

Roy glanced at her, then returned to cautiously moving in his chair and listening to it creak. Raph also looked distinctly uncomfortable in his pretty little seat.

"Here." The waitress was back, followed by the guy from the kitchen, who'd been gleefully yelling, 'No soup for you!' at the dishwasher as they'd come in. Each of them was carrying a sturdy wooden stool.

"Thanks, guys." Roy brightened and quickly swapped seats, then sat back with a happy sigh.

"Huh, figures." Mara snorted and elbowed him in the side, then moved her chair closer to the table. "You gonna try that pasta you smelled before?"

"What's pasta?" He lowered his head and his voice. "Is it good?"

"I liked it a lot before my thing was raw fish." Mara grinned. "But what makes the taste is what they put on it; the sauce. If you liked the smell before you'd probably like the pasta."

"It smelled really good." He glanced over at TJ, who sat between Norm and Raph, reading off entries and explaining what they were. "Yeah, I think I'll have that."

"Cool. Now you look it up in the menu and find the price and what it's called, you know, so the waiter gets the right one." Mara opened her menu and looked for the meats.

"Oh #$+&!" he whispered under his breath, staring at his own menu with a shamed look on his usually cheerful face.

Mara looked up, saw his expression, and suddenly realized her mistake. "Oh...you can't...but that's ok, really, fuzz-brain, I'll help ya. I'm not that great at reading either."

"You're not?" He perked his ears.

"No," said Mara, her own ears pinking under her hair. "I started school late, an' my family moved a lot, so I didn't learn much. Then...well, I went to the ocean and that was that. I can only read a little, but we can do this, it's just a list of foods."

"I only know my name," he whispered sadly. "'N it usually comes out backward 'n turned around when I try to write it."

Mara bit her lip, then put an arm around him and hugged him briefly. "Well, ya got the best male voice I ever heard, n' you pull off braids well. See? Good n' bad, it equals out."

He reached up and fingered the feather that his wife had braided into his hair, then grinned. "Okay. Um...it starts with 'A'." He picked up the menu and opened it, tilting it so that she could see.

"Yeah. But it'll have 'Pasta' in the front...wait, here's a picture of pasta, ok, looking for the 'A'..." Mara bent down and joined him in looking closely at the words. "#$+&, they have a lot of food on this menu."

"Front page, under 'Specials'," murmured TJ without looking up.

"Oh." Mara turned the page and looked. "Ok, here's the right place...um, you see it anywhere?"

"What's an 'L' look like?" Roy leaned closer and frowned at the list.

"Like this," said Mara, holding out her left pointer finger and thumb and tracing the shape they made with her other pointer finger. "Or just a straight line going up and down."

"This word starts with 'A' 'n 'L'." He pointed to one near the top of the list. "But it's after that other word...what's that say?"

"That's 'seafood'." Mara shrugged, then stopped and re-read it, her eyes lighting up. "That's some of the stuff they put in it...lobster, seabass...wow, this sounds really good!"

"It does? Those are good? What are they?" Roy traced the words with his finger, frowning with concentration.

Mara grinned. "They're from the ocean. Lobster's really popular, though I don't know why, but seabass is a fish, and that's really good. Plus I bet they don't have the whole thing in there, so you don't have to worry about the bones or scales."

"Okay," said Roy, looking lost but intrigued. "Neko Lynn likes fish. Sometimes when we have enough money, or we've done enough work at Hell, we have it. Only it's salmon."

"We need to get enough to take some home," said Norm.

"Huh?" TJ tore her gaze away from a picture of chocolate cake and looked at him blankly.

"For the girls and kids," he explained.

"Seabass is just as good as salmon," said Mara. Then she looked around. "You know, if you guys want fish you can come up to the lake by the mansion, there's lots of fish there and I can get them pretty easily. Fish's really good when you smoke it."

"Food is food," said Norm softly as Roy nodded. "So long as everyone's belly's full it's all good."

"Well, if you ever need some more." Mara shrugged. "Hunting fish is fun. How many people live with you guys?"

"You've met our whole tribe, except for mine and Neko Lynn's kids," said Roy, then glanced down at the chest pocket of his vest and socked it hard. "Shut up."

"What's that?" Mara's eyebrows went up.

"LGM." Roy peeked into the pocket and growled warningly, then closed it and shoved the snap shut with his thumb, ignoring the 'oof!' that came from inside.

"What's an LGM?" asked TJ.

"My brother." The big felinoid returned his attention to the menu. "He's in time out for playin' in traffic again."

"He's a lil' perv," said Mara, rolling her eyes, though the fact LGM was Roy's brother shocked her slightly. "Is he gonna get something too?"

"His head bashed against the curb, if he don't hold still."

"He's tough, proly wouldn't make much of a difference if he did get that," Mara said quickly, seeing the shocked and upset look on TJ's face. Then she rolled her eyes at Roy. "I meant food, fuzz-brain, if he does we'll have to tell the waitress when she comes back."

"Oh. He ain't." Roy pointed to a picture. "What're these?"

"All New Chicken Tenders made when ordered," Mara said slowly, reading it. "I guess it's chicken they fry up when you order it, guaranteed fresh...comes with a side order of french fries or onion rings too. Oh, and a pickle."

"The kid's meals probably won't be big enough for you guys," said TJ quickly.

"That's alright." Roy wrinkled his muzzle. "Can get fries anytime. We're eatin' something good now."

"Fried dill pickles." Norm's eyebrows went up.

"No way!" TJ brightened and looked at his menu, then found the place on her own. "Oh sweet! I know what we're having for starters."

"Starters?" Roy looked at Mara.

"Sometimes it takes them a while to make you the food you order, so you order something smaller first and they bring it for you to eat while you wait for the real meal." She shrugged. "It's like a snack before the real food comes."

"Your fan sent you and your friends a round of cocktails," said the waitress, stopping by the table and pulling out a notepad. "What'll you have?"

"Uh?" Roy's muzzle wrinkled again, in confusion this time.

TJ raised her eyebrows and turned to the back of the menu. "I don't know anything about cocktails, except that sometimes they have little weenies on them."

"I think it's a drink," Mara said slowly. "Fancy stuff, not what you get in a bar... Anyway, since our drinks are taken care of... You guys wanted fried pickles to start?"

"We don't drink booze." Roy shook his head. "Sure, why not."

"Cool!" TJ read the list, then turned to the server. "We'll start with two orders of fried pickles, two orders of mozza spears, and all you can drink iced teas for everybody but Mara."

"I'll have water," said Mara, arching her eyebrow.

"A lot of iced tea, a ton of fried pickles and cheese, and a water." The girl nodded and grinned at everyone, then turned and went to the kitchen, where the cook was doing his Soup Nazi imitation again.

"That guy is so weird." Mara shook her head and grinned. "But at least he isn't bouncing off the walls or screaming."

"AHH!" said the cook. "How'm I supposedta fry thata many pickles fast enough!"

"You were saying?" said TJ dryly, her golden eyes twinkling.

"He ain't bouncin' off the walls yet," Mara retorted, then rapped her knuckles three times on the wooden table top and looked up at Roy. "So your first time fine dinin' and you end up with a crazy chef...well, it could be worse."

"He just threw somethin' against the wall 'n it stuck." The big catman perked his ears with interest as he watched what was going on in the kitchen.

"Someone's pasta's ready." TJ grinned and elbowed Norm.

"Wow...my mom just stirred it a lot," noted Mara, her eyes drifting around the room carelessly. "Hey, you think the owner of this place is mutie or just had someone close to him that is?"

"Whaddya mean?" asked Roy, absently punching himself in the pocket again.

"Well he wouldn't let mutants in his place unless he had a serious reason to accept them." She shrugged. "This place must get vandalized all the time for letting us in here."

"Nope," said the waitress, setting down several glasses of iced tea and two big pitchers, then setting down a glass and pitcher of water.

"No?" TJ raised an eyebrow.

"No, because nobody who wants to wreck it can find it." The girl counted glasses and nodded to herself.

"Whoa," said Mara, eyebrows shooting up. "How'd you pull that off?"

"I don't," said the waitress. "Giovanni does." She pointed to where the cook was loudly singing opera in Italian, gesturing with one hand in the air and cooking with the other one.

"Wow... well I guess he had to be good at something besides scaring the customers." Mara smirked, then shrugged and poured herself some water, drinking deeply and nudging a glass over to Roy.

"He don't smell like a mutie," said the furry man puzzledly.

"He's not." It was the waitress's turn to smirk.

"Then how does he keep people from finding the diner?" asked TJ, frowning.

"He's got a Boss in really high places, and leaves the security in His hands." The girl turned and walked over to greet some new customers.

"Well...what works, works." Mara shrugged, then hit Roy's pocket before giving the glass to him. "You guys order the iced tea just to look at it?"

Norm cocked a brow at her over the rim of his glass as a muffled voice from the pocket yelled, 'hey!'

"Sheesh, dude, chug, why don't you?" TJ shook her head.

He looked at her puzzledly.

Mara laughed, then sighed. "Much as I detest the squirt, are ya sure he doesn't want anything t' drink?" she asked, looking at Roy's pocket again.

"Doesn't matter if he does. He ain't getting any." The big black catman picked up one of the pitchers and drank thirstily, then cocked an ear at Raph as the big bouncer broke out in soft snorts of laughter.

"Why not?" asked Mara. "Besides being a stupid pain, I mean."

"'Cause he's in time out." Roy aimed a good natured swat at Raph's head.

"Guys, not in here," said TJ.

"For how long?"

Roy frowned at her, looking disturbed. "Till I say he can come out."

"Ok, ok," said Mara, realizing she was stepping on a nerve. "Don't get your fur in a knot, big guy, I was just askin'."

He relaxed, his eyes twinkling again, then widening slightly as the waitress returned and set a big plate of breaded treats in front of him and followed it with one for each of the others.

"Your meal's on the house," she said, grinning. "What do you want for the main course? And have you thought of the cocktails?"

"Give the big black guy a Shirley Temple, and the rest of us Virgin Margaritas," said TJ, her eyebrows heading toward her hairline. "Why the treat?"

"Giovanni likes you." She tapped her pencil on her pad and quirked an eyebrow.

"I'll have the seafood Alfredo," said the indigo girl as the men to either side of her nodded in agreement.

"Okay. And you?" The waitress turned to Mara.

"Same." The aqua punk grinned toothily. "Extra seafood if you can pull it."

"I want that too," said Roy. "And can we buy some to bring home?"

"You want some for later?" The waitress frowned.

"No, for our wives and kids," said the big catman.

"Ohh, sure." She wrote quickly on her pad, then looked quizzically at Mara as the water girl gasped and put a hand to her stomach.

"It...it's nuthin'," said Mara, a little more snappishly than she intended as she rubbed the part of her stomach where the baby had just kicked the table. -How strong is this kid? That was some kick!- "Just hungry."

Tiny feet hammered cheerfully at her hand, then bounced away somewhere else.

"Are you sure?" asked the waitress uncertainly.

"Is he kickin'?" Roy suddenly looked interested in something other than his plate.

"I'm fine," Mara said again, shaking her head, then glaring at the hovering male. "Food, fuzz-brain. Eat'."

"Okay." He returned his attention to his cheese and pickles as the waitress walked away. She returned in short order with their cocktails, then glanced around the small room and went to argue with the cook, who was expostulating on something vehemently.

"How old is LGM?" asked Mara in the silence that followed, feeling slightly rotten that she had snapped at the waitress who had just told them they'd gotten a free meal.

"Same as me," said Roy, then sniffed at a fried pickle spear before putting it in his mouth.

"Um...explain that." Mara's eyes went from the tiny pocket to the massive man. "You aren't twins."

"Yeah we are." He tore open a cheese stick and strung the insides.

"You look nothing alike," she informed him. "And act nothing alike either."

"We still came out at the same time. Actually, I came out a few minutes after him. Mom 'n Dad were kinda relieved to see me."

"I would be too," Mara muttered, then shook her head and dismissed the idea, starting to get a headache as she turned to her own food and nibbled at it.

"Mom's belly was so big," explained Roy. "They couldn't figure out where the heck that tiny little runt of a baby had come from."

"So you've always been gigantic." Mara shook her head and prayed that her baby wouldn't be as big as she imagined Roy had been. She'd never thought of anybody being born looking different, but it made sense to her when she took the time to think about all the babies she knew at the school. "You must've been a handful as a kid."

"I only weighed seven pounds." Roy finished his food and looked at hers. "But Mom still complains about how hard it is to keep a furry butt clean."

"That's, like, NOT dinner conversation," said TJ.

"Sorry." He looked sheepish.

Mara laughed, then shook her head and nudged his arm before turning to watch the other diners.

"I didn't look like a cat though," rumbled Roy, sitting up and looking hopefully toward the kitchen. "I looked sorta like Hank. I just turned cat when I hit ten."

"That must've been something to wake up to," said Mara, then winced. "Sorry. I didn't mean in a bad way."

"None of my clothes fit anymore." He shrugged. "Mom cussed Dad out and gave him a black eye for givin' her pain in the #$+& kids."

"When did you meet Hank?" asked TJ, pushing her plate and cheese sticks toward him.

"Back when he 'n Logan were goin' out, when Jubes was just a kid yet." He grinned gratefully and started eating.

"Logan went out with that ape?!" gasped Mara, shaking her head in disbelief. "No way, man, she had better taste than that!"

"She did," said TJ softly. "Even before she met Jubes. It was just the last year before she disappeared that she'd been going with Cable instead."

"What?" Mara said sharply, then shook her head. "They're...they're...sheesh, what was she thinkin'?"

"They're good guys," said TJ. "And they didn't ask for more than she could give, though they hoped."

"Um, yeah..." Roy fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Whatever," grumped Mara. "I noticed they ran off and got married pretty quick, though. Anyway, that's over. How's Neko been, Roy?"

"Good. She thinks we're expecting again." He stuffed four cheese sticks in his mouth at once, then brightened as the waitress came over with a tray full of plates.


	15. Chapter 15

The school was dark and silent as Mara and TJ pushed open the front doors and walked into the foyer. TJ quickly said her goodbyes and headed up the stairs, but Mara decided to go say goodnight to Donnie before she went to the medlab. It had been a couple days since she'd seen him and the talk she'd had with Sturmjäger was still at the front of her mind. There was no one about as she made her way down the hall, and the house was silent but for the usual architectural creaks and sighs. Then she noticed that the smell of water was stronger than it should have been and was surprised to see the poolroom door standing open.

"What's goin' on?" she demanded, tensing as she caught sight of Hank crouched at the poolside, staring watchfully into the water.

"Hush," said the blue man softly without looking up, though Dom stirred and grumbled from her place on one of the loungers. "We have aquired a new student in thine absence and our Donnie has volunteered himself as a resting place for her."

Mara walked over and hunkered down a pointed distance away from him, then looked into the pool and saw a girl sleeping on the surface. There was nothing remarkable about the young brunette at all, save for the large turtle shell cast that covered her torso and went up and around her neck, its rigid shape showing clearly beneath her hospital gown.

"Who is she?" muttered the aqua punk, arching an eyebrow at her. "N' why's she wearin' that?"

"Her name is Hayle Cardinal," rumbled Hank. "And she wears the cast because she fell and severely damaged her spine moments before Kurt and Cain arrived to bring her here."

Mara gave him a hard look, wondering if the kid was dangerous or just abandoned. The new arrivals always seemed to fit those categories. Based on appearances, she would guess abandoned. This girl looked like she couldn't fight to save her life.

She shook her head in disapproval, then stood and turned toward the door. "Well I won't intrude on the new kid's space anymore, Doc. Far as I go medbay's the place to be right now."

There was a soft plash and she looked over her shoulder to see the water rippling softly in the corner nearest her.

"Or not," she grumbled, then walked back and lay on her back, sticking her head under the surface of the water and arching an eyebrow. "Hey, Nerves. 'Sup besides Turtlegirl?"

"Not much," said his soft voice all around her. "I just wanted you to know that you weren't intruding." The water flowed softly over her face. "You were crying."

"Huh. I hate it when you do that," said Mara, fighting a grin. Then she remembered the lesson on bridesmaids and best men that she'd gotten from Roy on the ride home and thought for a moment. "Hey, Nerves...I'm supposed to have a bridesmaid or something when Jubal and I get married, but I don't really like too many of the girls here, and the ones I do are too short for the job. You wanna be my bridesman?"

There was silence for so long that she became worried that she'd actually managed to insult him this time. "Nerves? Hey, it was just..."

"That's for your best friend," he interrupted gently.

She blinked and frowned as she recalled the stress Roy had put on that point. "Well, who else would I ask? I mean, besides bolting the first time ya saw me you've put up with me better than a lot of other people 'round here. And since we played share-a-history when I went watery you're the only one who knows anything about me besides Jean, but I'm not asking her." She shrugged and braced herself for a rebuff. "But...if ya don't want t' that's ok too. I think we can tie Goldie down for however long it takes."

There was a soft ripple of soundless laughter, then he spoke again hesitantly. "I...it'd...I'd do it gladly. I was...just surprised."

"Sorry," murmured Mara, feeling guilty that she had made him feel like he was anything less than her best friend.

"Why?" he asked gently, brushing her cheek again comfortingly.

"I just never thought about it before," she said. "And I know I'm a $#&!# to get along with. Just...thanks. I'm glad you're gonna be there."

There was a ripple, and she imagined him blushing and shrugging uncomfortably.

"You're not that bad." Then he seemed to fade slightly and she heard him murmuring a little distance away.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and sat up, shaking the water from her hair as she stood and cricked her neck.

There was another insistent splash from the pool even as the girl Hayle whimpered in her sleep and breathed rapidly.

"Yeah?" she said, sighing and frowning as she stuck her head back under. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry," he said distractedly. "I just wanted to say goodnight. I'm sorry I'm so... Oh, no!"

The water swirled around Mara's head, then cooled as Donnie disappeared from her corner of the pool. The aqua punk could hear the rumble of Hank's voice, and distinctly feel the fading sensation of her friend's concern and fierce protectiveness for the girl he was caring for.

"Whoa," she mumbled, stunned to hear her friend so upset about something. She wondered if he realized how much he cared for the girl he had just dashed off to rescue. He definitely felt something for the kid.

She sat up and looked toward Hayle, her thin brows drawing together as she saw Hank bending over the girl and listening her chest with concern on his simian face.

"Hey, party's up here now," she said dryly, absently shaking her hair out as she eyed the girl with feigned indifference.

"Her breathing seems to have evened out." Hank swallowed and let his stethoscope fall. "Perhaps if you were to emulate a slightly denser concentration of yourself, young Donavan. The warmth and knowledge of a living presence might help her to fight off shock more effectively." Then he turned to Mara. "I beg your pardon, Miss River?"

Mara watched as Hayle's body sank slightly beneath the surface, leaving her head and shoulders in the air. "That'd be a #$+& of a lot easier if she could breath water."

"Indeed it would." He lifted a slightly unsteady hand and rubbed his face, growling deep in his chest. "But as 'tis we must make do, as my attempt to intubate Hayle only caused undue stress."

"Which don't ya shove her in one of those bio beds an' pump her full of sleep-inducers? That was your answer for Jubes," said Mara, eyes hard. "Or won't her shell fit?"

"She is in severe pain, despite the drugs I've administered," said the blue man with a weary sigh. "Donavan presents a much more comforting environment for her in her present state. Besides." He cocked a golden eye at her sternly. "Jubal's condition is improved by the presence of yourself and his young sister, and by the muted racket of his friends. Hayle has no such comfort available to her."

"Whatever, Doc, give her my regards or whatever when she wakes up. See ya later." Mara stood, frowning as she took in the tension in Hayle's face.

"Yes," he said absently, his eyes already back on his patient.

Shaking her head the aqua girl turned and walked out of the poolroom, sorry to leave the water behind but looking forwards to seeing Jubal again. She also felt a surge of relief that Donnie hadn't turned her down, she wouldn't have known what to do if he had refused her. She hoped that Hayle got better soon so that he could return to his usual easygoing self.

Cable was standing next to the elevator door when she reached it, an apologetic expression on his craggy face as Jabez wriggled excitedly in the crook of his arm.

"Hey one-eye-gold," said Mara, arching an eyebrow at him and praying he wasn't asking her to take the kid. "What d'ya want?"

He scowled. "Jabez says she needs a hug."

"So? Jubes is still in the bio bed...an' your her old man, you hug her." Mara scowled back.

"She wants one from you." He clenched his jaw and narrowed his good eye at her slightly.

Mara scowled, then rolled her eyes and took the baby. She felt her own baby bouncing for joy in her stomach as she held her close, but breathed a sigh of relief as the wee telepath relaxed. "Yer not gonna do weird things to my head, are you?"

-Love-love,- came the soft, relieved-sounding reply as Logan's tiny daughter nestled close with a sigh.

"Whatever, kid." Mara was unable to suppress the smirk the baby brought to her face. She turned away from the still scowling Cable and focused on the infant, suddenly feeling almost as contented and relaxed as Jabez was. She wondered if it was the baby's work, but decided that she didn't really care.

-Daddy...- Jabez sent her a faint feeling of grief, then one of confusion as she gently sent a picture of herself snuggling Cable and smiling, her innocent belief that that should have fixed everything clear.

"I wish, kid," said Mara softly, rubbing her tiny back. "It must be nice t' know hugs work, huh?"

Jabez heaved a huge sigh, then chuckled as her unborn friend gave her a cheery boot. -Hi!-

There was an enthusiastic wriggle, then something dragged across the inside of Mara's belly, followed by a flurry of motion.

"Ugh, that feels weird, cut it out!" she said, slipping a hand between Jabez and her belly. "Save it for when you can run around on your own two legs, kid."

There was a saucy thump and Jabez laughed out loud, her big brown eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hey, listen to me! I'm your mother, you brat!" said Mara, shocked that she was getting lip so early in her parental career. Then she frowned at Jabez. "One day your kid'll give you this much grief, an' then where will ya be, huh?"

Jabez laughed and waved a fist as the belly antics started up again. -Run-run!-

"I knew there was a reason I didn't like kids," Mara groaned and shook her head. "Hey, I don't suppose you'd convince 'im t' stop? We gotta go see his Papa, who needs to be calm and relaxed."

The action in her womb cut off abruptly and she suddenly felt a tiny touch from Jabez that didn't feel quiet the same as her usual ones.

"What...?" She frowned and focused on it, trying to figure out the difference.

-Baby no talk. Jabez baby help.-

-Mama?- said a different little voice.

"No," groaned Cable. "You're too young to be doing that."

"What's she doin'!?" asked Mara, eyes going huge as she looked down, too afraid to answer the new little voice but also afraid to break Jabez's connection.

"She's made a link with your son and she's using it to let him talk to you by relay." His scowl deepened.

"Will it hurt him?" demanded Mara.

"No." Cable crossed his arms and gave Jabez a stern look, which she returned quizzically.

"Then stop being so freakin' crabby, you scared the #$+& outta me!" Mara snapped, shaking her head and turning away from him as she wondered what to do with this new twist. -Eh...kid?-

-Mama!- Her belly bounced as she was suddenly flooded with total adoration.

"#$+&!" she yelped, suddenly feeling a cold wave of terror sweep down her spine. She quickly handed Jabez back to Cable, then backed away as she fought to control her breathing.

-Mara?- Jubal touched her mind gently, sounding half asleep but concerned.

-No, please stop, please stop talking in my head!- she begged, biting her lip and clamping both hands over her ears as she tried to force back the overwhelming urge to start sobbing.

"Mara?" rumbled Cable.

"Lemme 'lone!" She jerked away from him and leaned on the wall for a moment. But then the tears broke free and she turned blindly and lay her head against his shoulder, arms folded against her chest.

Cable stiffened, but then hesitantly put an arm around her as her thin frame shook with sobs. There were no comforting words, no back rub, only silent, stolid support and sympathy.

"It's hard," he rumbled at last as her sobs eased.

"What would you know about it?" Mara sniffed angrily, rubbing her eyes and wishing her voice wasn't so oddly pitched with tears. "You don't have a clue."

"I had to realize that another human being depended on me for its very life. That I'm responsible for that life's existence, through no action of my own," he said, letting his arm fall away from her and stepping back as he looked down at the baby in the crook of his other arm.

"Yeah, if that was the half of it." She forced herself to turn away from the pain in his living eye, hiding her face in her webbed hands and shuddering again and feeling ashamed and annoyed that she had cried on his shoulder.

"Jubal is waiting for you." He turned and walked heavily toward the stairs.

Mara sniffed, then bashed the elevator button and bolted inside, banging her fist against the door as her chest heaved and her eyes burned. Its opening made her start, but she stepped through, only to freeze at a sudden clatter and a friendly nicker.

"What the...?" She gasped and stared at the leggy little horse standing in front of her, a scrawny copper creature with a white diamond on its forehead. "How the heck did this get here?"

The horse nickered again and hesitantly stuck its head out to gently nuzzle her hand, which had frozen halfway from her eyes.

Mara yelped and leapt backwards, gasping as she banged into the wall, then staring as the horse turned and bolted away in obvious fright.

"She won't hurt you," came Jean's voice from the medlab door. "She's actually more frightened of you than you are of her."

"She? What is it doin' in here?" Mara stared at the telepath, then the way the animal had disappeared.

"Her name is Penny Preston, and she's here for help controlling her mutation," said Jean, rolling her shoulders wearily and also looking down the hall. "She's an eleven year old girl."

"Where'd she go?" asked Mara, looking around nervously. "What can she do, besides being centaur girl?"

Jean shook her head and motioned for her to come into the lab. "She's not a centaur, she's a feral wer. And right now all she can do is what you've seen her do."

"Where'd she go?" repeated Mara, following the redhead through the sliding doors and past the machinery and equipment.

"She's exploring her reflection in the hanger transport door." Jean flopped down wearily in Hank's swivel chair and looked toward the bio bed.

Mara looked too and saw Will laying on the floor next to it, his massive chest raising and falling in deep slumber.

"#$+&. Kid beat me here," she said, suddenly feeling exhausted as she dragged herself over to the bed and stepped up on Will. She leaned on the lid and looked at Stitch curled up next to Jubal, then closed her eyes and touched her forehead to the glass, feeling an odd sense of calm overtake her.

"She said to wake her when you got home," said Jean softly from behind her.

"Nah..." said Mara, frowning slightly and looking at the brother and sister. "I've been hoggin' him lately...she can have it tonight."

"Where will you sleep?"

The aqua punk looked around, then walked over to the head of the bed and settled on the floor. "I'm fine here, it's alright. Once ya learned t' sleep on a coral reef you're good to go anywhere."

Jean shook her head, then frowned slightly. "Jubal is asking me to ask you if it's alright to talk to you again?"

"Oh..." Mara frowned, remembering her slight breakdown, then felt bad for losing her cool with him. -Hey, punk-boy. Um...I'm sorry about earlier. It...it was a thing.-

He sent her a sleepy wash of love and the feeling of a grin. -Don't sleep on the floor, chica. If you're not gonna boot Stitchie out then go crash with Donnie.-

-Nerves is takin' care a' one of the new girls, who's hurt.- Mara shook her head. -'Sides, I'm fine right here, an' so is Young Maniac. Floors are actually very comfortable if you take the time to get to know them.-

-New girls? No, don't sleep on the floor. Use my bed.-

-One's in a turtle cast 'cause she fell or somethin' before she got here; she's in rough shape. Fuzzy jerk and Nerves are takin' care of her in the pool. The other's some crazy 11 year old who's a horse right now, - explained the aqua punk. Then she frowned. -No. I wanna be down here. Now shove off and get some sleep.-

-Please, please, please, please?- he weedled. -Pretty please with Sugar Bombs on top?-

-No! And the more you beg the more I'll be cross and stubborn to stay here,- she said huffily, curling up and putting and arm under her head. -Now be quiet!-

He whimpered softly. -But I can't sleep if you're on the floor. I'm gonna be tripping out about it all night.-

-Aw man, Jubes, don't! I'm fine right here, and anybody will have to step on Will before they step on me,- she groaned. -If I have to go upstairs I'm gonna be worrying about you all night! -

"Would you like me to raise one of the beds, Mara?" asked Jean suddenly.

"Huh?" Her eyes snapped open. "Other beds?"

"You've seen the tables." Jean gave her a quizzical look.

-Man, I must be outta it, I didn' even remember the stupid things...- grumbled Jubal.

"Sure," said Mara, blinking and slowly getting to her feet. "Yeah, sure... Jubal, be quiet and go to sleep!"

She got zapped with a blast of affection.

"Brat," she mumbled, rolling her eyes as Jean walked over to the wall near Hank's desk and pressed a series of buttons on the control panel there.

Jubal sent her a mental raspberry, then giggled.

"There you are," said Jean, walking over to the table that had risen from the floor and laying a pillow and blanket on it.

"Thanks, telepath." Mara went over and sat on it, then put one hand to her belly as she felt the baby start to bounce around gleefully again. It unnerved her slightly, but she closed her eyes and then curled up on the table-top, arms around her middle, willing him to calm down slightly as her eyes slipped closed.

-You are the most beautiful woman in the world...- came a sleepy murmur, accompanied by snatches of dreams that involved dragons and horses and armor. Mara was reminded of the movie she'd seen once, 'Dragonheart'.

-Pfft.- She smirked as sleep overtook her, then quirked an eyebrow as she found herself wearing a long white gown and being swept onto the back of a huge black horse. -Yay for shared dreams...-

She woke an unknown time later, gasping and staring at the darkened ceiling as she recalled a dream where she'd dove off a cliff only to realize at the last moment that the ocean had vanished.

"Hey, kid," said a familiar husky alto from somewhere near her feet.

"Wha...?!" She started and jerked away, almost falling off the med-table before she caught herself. "Oh...hey, Logan."

"Ruh," said the unseen AI softly. "Y' alright? That looked like some dream."

"I'm fine," said Mara, her breathing evening as she automatically calmed herself. "Just a dream."

"Yeah, ya nearly woke Will up." Ruh glimmered faintly into sight, looking toward the bio bed.

"Whatever, it was just a dream," Mara grumbled. "You never slept so well either."

"Not when I was on the road." Ruh turned and gave her the barest quirk of a grin. "Nightmares never got near when Jubes was warmin' my back." Then she sobered and faded away again. "I mean, Logan had lousy dreams when she was on the road, but havin' the kid around kept 'em away."

"Wasn't the only one warming your back," said Mara grumpily. "I heard you were into that mad scientist and the gray haired Ever-Ticked."

"They're good guys, 'n they thought the world'a Logan, but she never slept next t' 'em. 'Cept for a few times on the couch durin' a movie marathon," came the husky reply from the darkness.

"Well...just being with them is bad enough," huffed Mara. Then she scowled. "Where've you been anyway? You've been gone for days."

"What's wrong with Hank 'n Nate?" Ruh hove back into sight a few feet away from the bed and frowned at her.

"Hank's a crazy, evil doctor who yells and sticks patients with needles, and Cable...he's a grumpy old fart." The aqua punk snorted.

"Nate's seen more hell than you could dream 'a," countered Ruh quietly. "'N Hank's dealin' with a lot right now, too. Don't bash somebody fer goin' through the same junk you are, darlin'."

Mara looked away from her, chest heaving in anger. "Show me the person going through what I am right now, I'll give 'em a kiss," she snapped, then shook her head. "Look...just, never mind, ok? Where have you been?"

Ruh came back to the table and resumed her seat by the water girl's feet. "Turned myself off. Couldn't handle what happened 'n nearly crashed."

Mara cursed. "What d'ya mean crashed?"

"I'm a computor program, darlin'. 'N I don't think I'm fully up 'n runnin' yet. Couldn' think straight, kept loopin' over the same stuff." She scowled.

"Well...#$+&." Mara shook her head and pulled her knees to her chest, feeling the baby push back in protest as she tried desperately to think of a more pleasant topic.

"Whaddya got against Hank 'n Nate?" Ruh frowned at her.

"I just don't like them, ok? Quit bugging me about it," snapped the aqua punk, then bit her tongue and let down her legs, turning her back to the AI.

"Logan would'a loved 'em if she could," whispered Ruh. "She trusted 'em t' watch 'er back."

"Good for her," grumbled Mara. "Which one was she married to anyway?"

"Neither."

"What?" Mara turned over and scowled at her. "But you were talkin' about being married; who was it then?"

"'Is name was David North, Maverick." Ruh looked away. "That was nearly fifty years ago now."

"What...what happened? I mean, why'd it end?" asked Mara hesitantly, getting a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she remembered the AI talking about the babies Logan had lost and how much her husband had loved it when she was pregnant.

"Somebody killed 'im."

Mara inhaled sharply, then looked down. "I...I'm sorry."

"You didn' do it, kid."

"Yeah. But I was told t' say that t' anyone who'd lost somethin' bad," grunted Mara, turning her back to Ruh. "Kid's manners, ya know?"

"Yeah." The AI sighed. "Logan worked Black Ops back then. There were four people in 'er team. Maverick, Silver Fox, 'n Sabertooth. Silver Fox was 'er best friend, Maverick was 'er husband."

"And the other guy?" asked Mara softly.

"Y' know Creed." Ruh shifted behind her, then gave a soft snort.

"Oh. Him. Yeah, Blondie." Mara shook her head and sighed. "What happened t' Silver Fox?"

"Same thing as happened t' Maverick."

Mara put her arms over her head as if to try and shield herself from the pain in the ghost's voice as she stared into space, remembering her dream and shuddering again.

"Logan didn' remember much 'a that time," Ruh continued after a moment. "The department wiped 'er memory. She didn' even remember Davie or the kids till she read some old files. That was when she decided she wasn't never gonna love anybody that way again." She growled. "Why the heck'm I dumpin' this garbage on you?"

"Because I asked a garbage question," Mara grunted.

"Whatever." Ruh touched her back. "Just...just don't judge Nate 'n Hank. They're good guys."

"Hey, those two lose their memory it's their problem. But it's screwed up movin' on that fast," snapped the water girl, moving away from her.

"Hank 'n Dom were hitched before Logan ever died. 'N Nate married 'Ro fer the same reason Jubes's marryin' you, except he's just learnin' t' love 'is lady. Hard when y' lose two women in a row." Ruh growled again.

"Oh, thanks," Mara growled right back, hiding the hurt feelings that suddenly jabbed at her heart. "'N I suppose Hank married Domino so she'd never be alone again, or somethin' heroic like that?"

"Actually, no," said the voice of the blue doctor. "I went out drinking to try and flee the pain of losing a dear friend and woke in the morning with a murderous hangover and a wife."

"Well that's great. Is there a single couple in this whole freakin' house who jus' got hitched fer good ol' love?!" Mara yelped, springing to her feet. "What is wrong with you people? Is it the tap water?"

"Scott and Jean," rumbled Hank without looking up from the mug that he held. "Robert and Emma. Alex and Lorna. Betsy and the late Warren. Cain and TJ. And very soon Lucas and Tessa will do so as well unless some unforeseen circumstance should disrupt their plans. I had thought you might wish a hot drink, since Jean reported you wakeful."

"You people are so screwed up." Mara turned away from him and folded her arms across her chest. "And stop checking up on me! If I want fish I'll get my own freakin' fish!"

"As you wish, Miss River." There was the sound of the mug being set down, then heavy footsteps toward the door.

She froze, then whirled and grabbed the mug of soup, hurling it with all her pent up anger and hurt at the back of the man's head. She saw it connect, then blinked as he turned to give her a look of befuddled surprise before crumpling to the floor.

-Mara? Chica, what's wrong?- came Jubal's alarmed sending.

She stared for a moment, then collapsed to her knees in shock. -J...Jubes...c...call Jean, I... oh $#&+, I hurt Hank,- she thought weakly, staring at the fallen man. Then she curled up on the floor and started to sob, trying to understand what had just happened as she frantically attempted to set up mental blocks against her fiancé.

-Don't shut me out, darlin'. Please. Mara, come on, babe. Don't go away. Please, I need you. Don't leave me here!-

She gasped aloud, then felt new tears splash down her face as she pulled at her hair, unable to reply but dropping her pitiful defenses, praying he wouldn't make sense of the jumbled mess racing through her mind.

-Shh, babe.- She felt herself wrapped in love. -You can't hurt old Blue. He's got a healin' factor like you wouldn' believe.-

"Hank?" said Domino. "You stupid rug, I told you to stay in bed! Hey, you, kid, um, Mara, can you help me get this idiot onto a med-table?"

"Can't," Mara choked, crawling away as she desperately clung to her link with Jubal. "Can't..."

"Hey." Gentle hands stopped her progress and turned her onto her back, then propped her up. "What happened, kid?"

"Let go! Don't touch me!" She snarled and blindly swung her fist.

"Calm down, girl, before y' git Jubes all worked up." The hands held her down relentlessly. "Take a deep breath."

Mara's eyes widened in shock as the tortured jumble of thought and memory dimmed. "NO!" she shrieked in panic, flailing against Ruh. "GET OFFA ME, YOU #$+& FAKE!"

-Mara! Stop it!- Cable's stern voice cut across her awareness, bringing darkness in its wake.


	16. Chapter 16

Mara woke to slightly humid warmth, soft breathing near her ear, and an arm across her waist.

She gasped softly, her eyes flicking around wildly, then relaxed as she realized that she was in the only place that she wanted to be lately. Beside her, Jubal sighed in his sleep, and she gently caught his arm to make sure he didn't take it away, then started as a tiny foot tapped at the side of her belly.

"What's wrong?" she murmured, her eyes going wide as she slipped a hand down toward the spot.

There was a cautious little poke, then a snuggle that curved what felt like a tiny shoulder and side into her palm.

"No, snuggle your pa." She frowned and pulled her hand away.

There was a soft sigh and Jubal stirred slightly, his mind making fairy kiss touches on hers.

"Mara?" he whispered faintly.

"You're...you're talkin'!" she breathed, turning her head slightly.

His eyes crinkled in a sleepy grin over the oxygen mask, then slipped shut. -You really got worked up last night.-

Mara frowned as the baby tapped again at a spot on her belly away from Jubal's arm. "I said snuggle your pa!" she said, feeling slightly frustrated and avoiding the thought of what had happened the night before. She tried her hand again, but as soon as it pulled away the baby moved away again. "#$+&, boy, what's wrong?"

-Chica?- Jubal looked at her quizzically. -What's wrong? Who you talkin' to?-

-The...the baby.- Mara tensed, then relaxed as she bit her lip and watched for his reaction.

-Baby?- His arm twitched slightly as his forehead creased in concern. -He ain't talkin' yet, is he?-

"He...not...well, kinda. Your Jabez demanded a hug, n' right in the middle of it opened a link with him. Didn't even ask, either. Nah, I was wonderin' 'cause...erm, I dunno...he's just bouncin' weird. It's probably nuthin'," said Mara, wishing she'd avoided that subject as well. "How're you feeling?"

-Stoned,- he said absently, his eyes closing once more and creasing in concentration.

"Huh," said Mara. "Does...does it hurt?"

He quirked one eyebrow, then breathed a soundless laugh as the baby gave a little hop and snuggled his arm fiercely. -No, it's a big wee. He was afraid he was gonna hurt me. Jabez didn't understand what Hank told you the other night.-

"So everyone's able t' talk to him 'cept his mama," said Mara, getting ready to laugh, but then freezing and letting her head fall back as her jaw dropped in amazement.

-Yeah, Mama.- Jubal's eyes crinkled again, though he didn't open them. Then he sighed as his thoughts drifted away into dreams.

"#$+&," said Mara, gripping his arm as she squeezed her eyes shut. Then she opened them with a frown as she registered having seen something on the dome of the bed, and started as she realized that it was Stitch sleeping sprawled over the glass.

A pair of white-clad arms gently lifted the teen away, and a blond man that the water girl didn't recognize peered down at her before turning and carrying Stitch over to one of the tables. He was back in a few minutes, and Mara's eyes narrowed slightly as he opened the dome and smiled at her.

"Hi, I'm Walter Langkowski," he said as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'll be Jubal's doctor while Hank gets over his current case of saving the world, if it's okay with you."

"Saving the world? He ain't dead?" Mara scowled, recoiling from him automatically.

Walter leaned back slightly and looked in the direction of the other bio bed. "Yes, saving the world. Nope, not at the moment." He shook his head.

"How? Is he still out?" demanded Mara, upper lip threatening to curl.

"Last night he injected himself with an antidote for the Legacy Virus," said Walter soberly. "One that we'd decided not to use because it can only be spread via the air after incubating in a human host. And before you ask, yes, that's a bad thing, because we found out the stuff would kill the host. And no, you're not in any danger. As a matter of fact you're now totally immune to the Legacy Virus."

"What the #$+&'s a Legacy Virus?" Mara felt an icy wash run around her back. "N' what about his skull?"

Walter blinked. "The Legacy Virus is a genetically engineered virus that attacks mutants. What about his skull?"

"It's obviously thick." Mara sighed, then grunted. "So's he gonna croak?"

"Maybe a few more times before his enhanced immune system finally overcomes the effects of the vaccine." Walter winced and hurried toward the other bed as an alarm started to beep.

"Sure he is, 'cause the X-Geeks don't die," Mara muttered to herself, wincing as she lay her head back down.

Then she realized that the beeping was continuing, and that she was hearing the flatline of a heart monitor.

"Come on, Hank. Come on," said Walter tightly. "Don't do this, man!"

Ruh flashed into sight next to the bed holding Mara and Jubal, her face lost in shadow as she watched what was happening by the other bed.

"Domino, hand me the defibrillator!" ordered Walter.

"Hank, you #$+&, if you leave me now..." The woman's husky voice broke.

"Oh man," Mara groaned softly, letting go of Jubal to try and push her hand over her ears hard enough to block the sounds. "Oh man..."

-Tia?- There was a familiar uncomfortable poke at her mind. -What's bad?-

Mara shook her head, groaning as she heard the electricity surge through Hank's body. -Nuthin', kid. Nuthin'. Where are ya?-

-What's bad?- insisted Jabez, poking her again. -Tia scared. Tia hurt. What's bad?-

-Head hurts,- said Mara, unable to believe she was arguing with a baby in her head. -Shh, kid, where are ya?-

-Sad?- The baby gave a little spark of satisfaction. -Why? Why sad? Why scared?-

-Kid, stop.- Mara groaned as the electricity surged again, then watched as Ruh put a hand on the side of the bed and flickered. -Mara's sad because of scary things, ok? Nothing a baby like you needs to know about.-

-Why?- insisted Jabez.

"One more time!" said Walter desperately.

"Please..." whispered Ruh, putting a hand over her mouth.

-Kid, stop. Close the connection, now,- Mara ordered, unable to hold back the biting anger with herself. -Seriously. Tia's fine. Close the link.-

"Mara?" came the faint whisper from beside her as Walter gave a cry of frustration and pain and Domino stepped backward into sight, her violet eyes staring blankly in her pale face. "Chica...wh...wha's...wrong?"

"Don't...Jubal, go back to sleep." Mara shuddered, cringing inside of herself. "Go back to sleep."

Walter gasped a few broken curses, then groaned. "He's gone."

Jubal's eyes widened. "Who...?"

"No." Domino's eyes closed and she crumpled.

"Hank," said Mara softly, blinking and wondering at the numb distance that seemed to be between her and what was happening. Then she felt a rush of shame. The last thing she'd done was knock him flat with soup he'd brought down for her. And now she didn't even feel bad that he'd died saving the world from a virus.

Jubal groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, his shoulders shaking slightly as tears ran down his face.

-Tia?- There was another poke that nearly made her wet herself. -Why sad?-

-Jabez...- Mara winced. -Hank...you know Hank, the doctor? He...he went away, kid...away from here...-

-Jabez baby get back?-

-No, baby, it doesn't work that way.- Mara sighed and turned slightly to put her forehead to Jubal's as he choked with silent grief.

-Baby get!- insisted the tiny girl. -Get stinky Blue!-

"Shh," said Mara to Jubal, putting her arms around him as she realized he was as attached to Hank as she was to any member of the team Logan had been a part of. This finally set her off, and she shook her head, trying to block out Jabez's voice and Domino's choked crying.

_Those are tears of love_... she realized with a jolt. _She married him drunk...but she loved him!_ Opening her eyes, she tried to look at Jubal's face through her own tears. "Shh, punk boy, it's gonna be ok...shh..."

-Tia? Baby get!- The insistence in her honorary niece's thoughts made her head ring.

-Stinky Blue's gone, baby. You can try, but he ain't gonna answer you,- said Mara. -Try to wake Blue up, just stop blowin' out my brains!-

-Jesus, Jabez baby want stinky Blue. Please?- There was an expectant silence.

-Fine, ok, get him! Bring him back, stop all the crying, and get him,- Mara burst out, ducking her head so she no longer had to look at the pain in her fiancé's face.

The silence continued, then came a little spurt of happiness. -Tanks! Tia, help Jabez baby?-

-Help?- Mara frowned. -Help do what?-

-Get,- said Jabez matter-of-factly.

-Erm...sure,- said Mara, completely lost.

Walter suddenly muttered a curse from right beside them, and the aqua punk felt him gently pushing her away from Jubal and straightening her fiancé out on the bed. "You're probably going to hate me for this, but I'd rather have you hate me than lose somebody else today."

"Get...get off!" Mara grunted, swinging at him. "No! He needs the kid, stoppit! He's fine, leave off!"

"Watch it!" Walter leaned back, holding the syringe in his hand away from the bed. "He's not fine, his vitals are fluctuating dangerously. If I don't knock him out so he can relax..." He swallowed and scowled.

Mara started to push herself up on her elbow, ready for war, but then blinked as she suddenly found herself standing in darkness.

-Help Jabez baby,- said that precocious infant happily.

"No, Jabez baby, no, wait!" Mara yelped, then looked around wildly as her heart started to pound in fear. "Where am I? Jabez? Answer me!"

"Here." A little black-haired girl suddenly popped into sight in front of her and grinned.

Mara stared at her for a moment, then arched an eyebrow. "You're two feet too tall, kid."

"Get stinky Blue." Jabez took her hand. "Tell...talk...? What say?" She quirked a finger in a summoning motion.

"We're gonna go get him?" Mara looked around. "Where is he? You got the map?"

Jabez sighed hugely, then took a deep breath. "Hank? Hank! Hank!!"

"Tell...oh sheesh, you mean call?" Mara sighed, then realized that she was relying on a temperamental baby telepath to get out of this place. "Hank? HANK! Get your fuzzy blue #$+& BACK HERE! Hank! You're making people cry and it's TICKING ME OFF!"

"No. Be nice. He hurt." Jabez pushed at her again, then grunted and fell back as the water girl popped through what felt like a smoked glass wall. "Be nice, please." She peered through the wall, brows lowered worriedly.

"What the...?" Mara looked around, then gave a shaky curse. "I'm tryin' to be nice, kid... Hank? Hank! C'mon, answer me! I wanna go back; who knows what that nut's injecting Jubes with...c'mon, blue man, please?"

There was a soft whimper from off to her left, and she whirled, gasping as she saw the big blue sabertooth laying on his side and watching her through confused eyes as he panted with distress.

"Shh." Mara's own eyes widened fearfully as she moved slowly toward him, not making any sudden moves as she approached and carefully put a hand on top of his head. "Shh...it's alright, Hank, jus'...jus' take it easy." She looked up as she suddenly realized there was a light a short ways to her right, bright and inviting. She stared for a moment, feeling drawn, then remembered with a lurch the time she'd seen it in her own mind. Shivering, she blocked its rays from the blue cat's gaze.

"Hank, you have to come back with me," she said hoarsely, feeling his terrified trembling. "You have to come back to life. Domino's heart's breaking, and you're really messing Ruh an' Jubes up. C'mon, stinky Blue, you can't leave the family yet!"

He stirred slightly, then moaned and gasped for breath, pressing against her hand.

"Shh, it's alright, blue, it's alright," she said softly, sitting and pulling his head into her lap, then stroking it gently and frowning. "Come back, Hank, your body's a man right now, and I don't think this mismatch thing's gonna work if you wake up. Shift back, alright? You're a man, not a cat. Man. Homosuperior, or something."

He shuddered and gulped, but opened his eyes to look up at her and made a little questioning sound in his throat.

"Man," she said slowly. "A big, furry blue doctor who wears glasses and one of those dorky lab coats. You like Twinkies, and sticking yourself and other people with big scary needles, and you have a wife named Domino who, despite being hammered when you married her, loves ya very much."

She felt him start, and saw his gaze suddenly fix on her's intently at mention of the black-haired woman.

"Yeah, wife," she said, realizing she'd struck the nerve. "She's dark haired, pale skinned, purple eyed; and she's always with you, wherever you go! You steal Jubal's booze sometimes and drink it with her, and sing for the whole mansion, which I heard thinks you need lessons. But you love her, and she loves you, and she's crying right now because she thinks you're dead! Come back, Hank, become a man again and go back, she needs you to hug her."

His forehead furrowed, then he tensed and tried to lift his head, turning it in the direction of the Light.

"No!" Mara yelped, pulling it back down. "No, man, c'mon! Cut it out! If you go there I'm gonna be sucked in and I can't, 'cause I've got a baby and a man depending on me and I can't leave them or you! So, the only solution to this mess is for you to come back! C'mon, Hank, c'mon!"

He rumbled a thready, uneasy growl, startled by the abrupt movement and by her sudden spurt of panic.

"Hey..." She smoothed his cheek fur gently. "Domino, remember? Calls you a rug? Smells like..." She tried to remember the name of the flower. "Roses, I think. Or somethin' like that. Domino needs ya back, Hank."

She saw his eyes suddenly darken, the gold fading into a soft brown colour that she had never seen on him in life.

"Domino..." whispered a voice from all around her as the darkness lightened. "Sweetest Dom..."

"Domino McCoy," she agreed eagerly. "The love of your life. Come back with me, stinker, she's crying an' she needs you."

He struggled for breath, the darkness lightening further till Mara could see the equipment and cupboards of the medlab all around them, then gave a choked cry and suddenly changed.

She shot a startled look around her, then glanced down at Hank and gaped to see that his blue fur had vanished completely. It was a brown-haired human man who lay with his head in her lap now, his handsome face lined with suffering.

"H...Hank?" she said, jerking her hands away from him before she slowly touched his cheek to make sure the change was real. "Hank? What the #&+$ happened to ya?"

"You...called me..." He paused to shudder and curl into a ball with a whimper. "Called...me...to return...to my human form...aieee!"

"I meant...but what about your healing factor? You need it!" she gasped, carefully pulling him up and putting her arms around him. "Take it easy, bub, easy!"

"Mara." He leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "I...I fear...my strength is...is...s...spent."

"Crap, no! I didn't mean t'..." Mara pulled him tighter. "No, ya can't leave...ya can't leave Domino an' Jubal an' Ruh. They need you! You can work through this, Doc, even if it's hard and it hurts! I did, once, and you can! An'...an' X-Men don't die, remember? Just hold on, they're gonna take care of ya as soon as they realize you came back, just give them a little bit!"

"Hey." There was a click of boot heels, and Jubal suddenly knelt next to them, one hand closing over Mara's as the other rested against Hank's back.

Mara's hand tightened over his as she breathed a shaky sigh of relief, then looked down as Hank flinched and let his head fall back.

"Should... Should not be here...young Wolverine. Too...weak...yet."

"Shh," said Jubal, his eyes warm with compassion and affection. "Man, Hank, I always, like, knew you were a freaking Twinkie brain. Come on, relax. Jean or Nate or Chuck'll hear ya in a minute 'n get ya tickin' again." He swallowed and shook his head. "You really, like, scrambled the #$+& outta Wolvie's circuits this time, dude."

"Logan." Hank swallowed as tears suddenly glistened on his cheeks. "Fair...fury. Lost...too...soon."

"So don't add to the list," said Mara, half scowling, half fretting. "Pain hurts, but running off and dying only makes more hurt back home."

"Shh, chica," murmured Jubal softly. "He's too low for that right now."

"That...that...I...had...been...there." Hank tensed and cried out in pain, and to Mara's horror Jubal blinked out of sight.

"Jubes?" she cried, then shivered and hugged Hank tighter impulsively. "Don't give up, Hank, please? You have a family, don't leave them. Stay with me, until someone comes. You can do it, I know you can, just hold on a little longer!"

"Dost...care?" The words were nearly too faint to hear. "Methought...hated...me..."

"I don't hate you, I was afraid of you," said Mara softly, rocking him gently. "The first thing I saw coming here was a gigantic sabertooth cat, and you were the one who told me about the baby...and it was just a lot of fear that came up whenever I looked at you. Don't...don't leave, I do care, alright? You're not that bad, though, and I do care what happens to ya."

"Never...need...fear...me." The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"No, you're just a big teddy bear under all the gruff and growl," said Jean, going to one knee beside him and putting a hand to his forehead as a little colour returned to his face.

"Well...I'm not...not anymore... Jean!" Mara's eyes went wide and she breathed a shaky sigh of relief as she felt Hank relax. "You found him, is he being taken care of again?"

"We've got the life support hooked up again," said the red-haired woman softly as she smoothed her friend's cheek and smiled absently. "His body's stopped producing the antibodies, so he should start healing soon." Then she looked at Mara sharply. "Do you realize how dangerous this is?"

"Wh...what?" said the aqua punk shakily, flinching. "What? Needles? Yeah, that new doctor guy said the cure was supposed to kill it's host..."

"No." Jean shook her head, her expression softening. "I meant linking with a dying man. You could have died yourself, and there would have been nothing anyone could have done to save you."

"B...but I didn't," said Mara, eyes wide in distress. "I mean, I guess I did, but it wasn't my idea. Jabez wanted to find Hank again, and she asked me to help her, and I didn't know what she was talking about and all of the sudden I was in Hank's head and Hank was a cat and there was the Light..."

Jean glanced toward where it still glowed comfortably. "Yes, the Light." She smiled softly, then stood and held out her hand to the water girl. "Come on. It's time to wake up, before poor Walter has a heart attack."

"No." Mara tightened her grip on Hank. "No. He's still not better yet. Dom n' Jubes n' Ruh will freak if he leaves. I'm here until he's back."

Jean shook her head. "He's not going anywhere, Mara. He's sleeping comfortably. Jubal, on the other hand..." She cocked her head and listened to something that the aqua punk couldn't hear, then winced. "He's afraid for you. Come on."

"No!" said Mara, then winced. "No...can't you just tell him I'm alright? You're the stronger telepath...just tell him I'm making sure about this guy. I'm not gonna let you take me outta here. Jubal needs Hank, too."

Jean sighed and knelt again. "Mara, Jabez can't hold this link for much longer. That she managed to get you past the shields that Nathan set up is a miracle. But once she loses the link you could become trapped in Hank's mind, and since I'm not sure how she did it I can't guarantee that anyone else could get you out. Hank's not in danger at the moment, but you are. And your baby is. Please." She held out her hand again. "Come with me."

"Can't you make the link then?" Mara glanced toward the glass wall that Jabez had shoved her through and saw the little girl's face pressed against it, then blinked as the child waved at her and said something that she couldn't hear. "What was that?"

"She's calling for you to come back." Jean glanced down at Hank as he sighed and smiled in his sleep.

"Please, Jean," begged the water girl. "I'm afraid. He almost died when I was here, but I could still bring him back! Who'll bring him back next time?"

"You didn't bring him back," said the redhead gently. "You only gave him the will to hold on till someone noticed that he was alive and came to help him. If he died while you were linked you'd go too. But he's not dying now, or in danger of it. You..."

"Mara?" Jubal wavered into sight, face creased in concentration. "Babe, your heart's startin' t' jump funny. Jabez's callin' you."

"That's what I meant." Mara scowled at Jean, then glanced at Jubal before laying Hank down and carefully making sure he looked comfortable. "Fine, leave the lug alone. See if I care." She got to her feet and walked over to the wall. "This bites." She shoved herself through.

"Woah, woah!" Walter caught her and gently pushed her back, then stepped away and looked at her with wide eyes. "Could you please at least give me a little warning next time you decide to play dangerous headgames?"

"Sure. Next time I know some baby's gonna hijack my brain I'll jump right up and tell ya," she growled. "Get away from me. Hank's alive again, go badger him."

Walter shoved his glasses up with a shaking hand, then turned and walked away.

"Do you want to come and lay next to Jubal?" asked Jean softly.

"Or do you need to pee?" butted in Stitch wryly.

"I'm fine," Mara grunted, shoving aside the monitor array and sitting up, her eyes going to Jubal's bed as she swung her feet to the floor. Standing with a slight grunt, she walked over and put a hand on the glass. -Hey punk boy, you there?-

He opened his eyes and gave her a weak frown, then creased them in a grin as they closed again. -Look, you scared Hank right outta his fur.-

"Oh, yeah." Mara smiled painfully. "And he scared me outta my mind... I'm sorry."

-Sorry, chica...need sleep.- She saw him sigh, then sighed herself as she felt a wash of love through their link.

She turned, her eyes flicking away from the other bio bed and its occupants as she dropped to the floor and put her head in her hands, her shoulders sagging with guilt at the thought that she'd worn Jubal out by making him worry about her.

"Mara?" Stitch crawled toward her cautiously. "Is it okay if I hug ya?"

"I ain't doin' well enough t' hug back," she sighed, letting one arm open up anyway.

The dark-haired teen scootched over and snuggled close, strong young arms going around her middle and waking the baby, who moshed agreeably.

"Ah, what are you, the cheery squad?" Mara sighed again and returned the embrace. "So...what's up with you lately?"

"Skippin' classes, teasin' Will, 'n hangin' out down here." Stitch shrugged and gave a rotten giggle. "'N eatin' all Hank's Twinkies while he can't defend 'em."

"That...actually sounds like fun." Mara blinked, then looked at her soon-to-be younger sister. "Are there any left?"

Stitch giggled again and let go of her to slip around behind the end of the bio bed and return with the box, which still held most of its cakes.

"How'd you get hyper on...oh yeah, the anti-sugar bit," said Mara, eyebrows raising. "Well if you aren't gonna dispose of these properly, you mind if I...?"

"Go hard." Stitch flopped down and used her legs for a pillow. "I gave myself a headache on the three I ate."

"You're nuts, little lady." Mara sighed fondly, rolling her eyes as she unwrapped one of the cakes and then stared at it. "Eating sugar... Now that's something I haven't done in awhile." She chuckled as the baby gave an enthusiastic thump, then took a big bite and settled back to enjoy herself.

-Mmm, Twinkies!- came the half-awake thought, accompanied by the sensation of being lightly poked in the side.

-Sleep and rest and I might save you one,- Mara teased, then stuffed her mouth with the yellow and white-fluffed snack.

-Twiiinkie.- He chortled mentally, then nearly made her lose hers as he inadvertently projected a yawn.

"Gross," said Stitch matter-of-factly.

-Yeah, Twinkie.- She shook her head, then coughed and managed to swallow it, grinning at Stitch. "Sorry. Jubes yawned."

"'N made ya do 'see, food'." The teenager chuckled. "I'm glad he's feelin' good. Maybe things'll be more like old times when he gets better."

"Maybe," said Mara softly, then looked at her. "He'll definitely be better...just, you can't hope for a complete reversal, alright? He's been through a lot. People don't magically forget that."

"I know," said Stitch softly, turning to look up at her with eyes much too somber for one her age. "It's just... Yeah."

"Hey, hey, it's ok," Mara said, pulling her back into a hug. "It's fine to hope, because you know what? Sometimes the hopes work out. Don't loose the grin, girl, that's a very bad thing to do. Jubal needs your grin to brighten his day." Then she froze and blinked, looking back at the Twinkie and setting it back in the box. "That's enough sugary guiding for now," she said, shaking her head in amazement.

Stitch nodded, then pulled her knees up and leaned against the older girl. "Yer not mad at yerself anymore?"

"For making him pass out with worry? Course I am," said Mara softly. "But right now the only thing I can do t' help him is let 'im sleep, and I'm not gonna hurt him any more."

"He don't like ya bein' mad at yerself. He fusses about it." Stitch watched Walter walk across the lab toward Hank's office.

"That's why I'm hangin' out with you." Mara tightened her grip on the girl. "'Cause you make me feel better, and then Jubal doesn't have to worry anymore."

Stitch chuckled, then yawned hugely and snuggled closer, closing her eyes. "My nap got interrupted..."

"Get some rest," said Mara. "I won't move."

"'Kay." Stitch sighed.

"Mind if I join ya?" asked Ruh softly, flashing into sight and crouching in front of the water girl, her thin face looking tired and sad.

"Plenty of room," Mara said, frowning slightly at her appearance. "Are you ok?"

"Feelin' my age." The ghost sighed and flopped down next to her, then quirked an eye at the Twinkie box and stuffed it under the bio bed. "Yer lookin' kinda beat yerself, kid."

Mara smirked, then leaned towards her slightly with a sigh. "I'm fine."

"Sure, darlin'." Ruh put an arm around her, gently poking Stitch and causing her to give a sleepy growl. "Get some rest."

"You should too, you look awful." Mara bit the inside of her lip.

"Don't sleep. Just need a little quiet time t' get m' thoughts straightened out," said Ruh softly, leaning back and gazing into space.

"Then...how do you get to look so stressed?" Mara asked softly, looking at her.

The AI snorted. "Quit fussin', kid. Get some sleep."

"I'm turnin' into the Queen of fussin'." Mara sighed and rubbed her forehead until it hurt. Then she bit her lip again and hesitated for a moment before letting her head drop and rest against Ruh's shoulder.

"Leave that ta me," said the AI softly, stroking her hair. "I kin take it better."

Mara snorted, then sighed and closed her eyes, smiling as Jubal enthusiastically zapped pac-man ghosts in his dreams.


	17. Chapter 17

_She was falling again, her heart in her throat as she closed her eyes against seeing the empty space where the sea should have been._

_Then someone called her name and she looked down despite herself, eyes widening as she saw the sea of people below her holding their arms out to catch her. Brown wings flashed at the edge of her vision, and she turned in time to see Sturmjäger grasp her wrists and pull her close._

Mara snapped awake with a gasp as something bounced off her bladder, then blinked as she heard male voices raised in playful insult against one another somewhere behind some of the equipment.

"What?" she croaked, looking around quickly and seeing Ruh still holding her, but a blank space where Stitch should have been. Then she started as she heard Hank say something to Walter to which both men laughed

"H...Hank's awake? How long was I out?" she asked, still unnerved from the dream as she straightened and groaned.

"Yeah, he's up." Ruh shook her head. "'Bout three hours. I heard ya talkin' ta Jubes once, though."

"Um...I dunno." Mara frowned., then rubbed her forehead. "Can't...ugh, my head hurts."

"Slept too long?" Ruh gave her a sympathetic look, then stood and offered her a hand up.

"I dunno," Mara sighed, rubbing her eyes. "How's Jubes? And Stitch?"

"Grinnin' in 'is sleep; 'n sneakin' up on the furballs." Ruh waggled her fingers. "Y' gettin' up 'r stayin' down?"

"I'll get up." Mara hoisted herself into a crouching position and looked around, one hand automatically covering her stomach. Then she half grinned at a wary poke and looked down. "You gonna be as cautious as your ma, huh?"

The baby gave a little ripple of taps, then seemed to vanish for a moment before coming back with a massive bounce.

Ruh let her hand fall and turned to look toward the voices. "She's gonna be jumpin' out any minute. You wanna see the fun?"

"Sure." Mara grinned mischievously as she patted the now hyper unborn. "Been awhile since I've seen any fun, other than some of Jubes' dreams."

Ruh chuckled, then beckoned her to follow and went creeping off between the equipment.

The aqua punk followed on all fours, moving stealthily and struggling to keep up with the AI. Her belly bounced, and she chuckled, whispering, "Don't ruin the surprise. Sneaky quiet time, kid." The babe seemed to agree, snuggling against the offered hand before going still.

They continued till they came to what looked like a table draped with a sheet and crawled beneath it. Mara peered through a part in the covering, absently noting that Ruh had faded to transparency and was opening sticking her head out from their hiding place.

_Hmm, still fuzzy-less_, she noted, biting her lip in apprehension as she noted how weak Hank looked. Then she glanced sharply to the side as she caught a glimpse of motion and grinned as she saw Stitch coiling herself for a spring.

The girl paused for a moment as Hank leaned back and chortled at something Walter had said, her heart-shaped face splitting into a ferocious grin, then leapt out with a blood-curdling roar.

Both men leapt to their feet, their forms sprouting fur and exploding upward, much to the detriment of Walter's clothing.

"Stitch!" Hank dropped to one knee, trying to scowl sternly, but instead laying his forehead on his knee and laughing heartily. "My stars and garters!"

"Man..." A suddenly huge and orange Walter looked sadly at his destroyed lab coat. "She's Logan alright..."

"Suckers!" Stitch stood and swaggered away, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Mara tried and failed to stop the huge laugh that sent her backwards onto her butt as she stared at the furry men. Then she hooted as she thought of them exploding like fluffy bombs.

"Miss River?" Hank looked up, his face troubled.

"You rubes better learn ta watch yer backs!" chortled a now totally invisible Ruh.

"Why?" sighed Walter, shrinking back down to his human form and refastening his pants. "I could never catch you even when I knew you were after me."

"Dang straight," said the AI with satisfaction.

"Oh wow, that was great!" wheezed Mara, managing to tone her merriment down to mad giggling. "Hey, Hank."

The blue man frowned slightly and reached back for his chair, then paused to hang his head. "Walter, if I might importune your assistance..."

Mara slid out of hiding and held the chair legs with her feet, steadying it as Walter helped him into it. Then she sat on the empty table and frowned at him as she gripped the edge and rocked back and forth. "You mad at me?"

He sat for a moment with eyes closed, then shook his head. "No. Far from it, Miss River. I...I am most deeply in your debt." He started and looked up as the fur on his forehead flattened. "Worry not, Ruh, I shall shortly be seeking my bed."

"Just makin' sure," grumbled the AI. "Yer an idiot when it comes ta takin' care 'a yerself."

"Yeah, whatever." Mara sighed and stalked off check on Jubal, quickening her step slightly as she caught sight of Creed standing next to the bed and talking to a rumpled and scowling Domino.

"I'll wring his neck," the black haired woman was saying. "So help me, I'll wring his stinking neck."

"Sure, Dom." Creed turned to give the water girl a cheesy grin. "What's gotcha ticked this time, kid?"

"Buzz off, Fluff-butt," she snapped, pushing past the big feral to look down at Jubal, and then relaxing with a sigh as she saw the peace in his sleeping face.

A muscular arm snuck around her shoulders and pressed her firmly to Creed's side. "Hey, punkin'."

"I'm gonna kick your hide till it tans!" she yelped, though her voice held no trace of a real threat in it as she tried to shove away from him.

"C'mere." He put his other arm around her and held her closer, a soft rumbling suddenly filling the air around them. "Take it easy."

"Ruh!" Mara grunted, freeing herself enough to beat on his chest with both fists. "Stop purring on me! Argh!"

He chuckled and purred louder, resting his cheek on her head.

"Good grief, Creed, ya tryin' ta ruin yer reputation?" Ruh chuckled from somewhere nearby.

"Who's going to tell on him?" said Domino.

"GET OFF ME, YA KITTEN-HEARTED PRAT!" yelled Mara.

"My stars and garters! Victor, loose her at once!"

"Stay out of this, honey," warned Domino.

"But..."

"Back off, Hank. They're havin' fun." Ruh chuckled again as Creed rumbled humorously and poked Mara gently in the belly.

"He's moshin' hard enough! Get your paws away from him!" snapped the aqua punk, slapping him on the hand.

-Hey! Yer havin' fun without me.-

-I'm...not.- Mara frowned at the laughing mental comment and tried to shove Creed off one more time, then gave up. -I'm...I mean. I didn't mean to! He jumped me!-

-He's ticklish,- hinted Jubal, still chortling.

"Hey." Creed leaned over to look into the bed. "Is he laughin'?"

"Is 'e?" Ruh looked too.

"Maybe," said Mara slyly, her eyes lighting up as she turned and jabbed Creed in the ribs. "Take this!"

He gave a bellow of surprise and squirmed, trying to shove her off. "No! Dangit! Uncle! #$+&! Whoops!"

Mara laughed aloud with Domino and Ruh, hearing Jubal laughing just as merrily inside her head. "You dirty-mouthed brat! Lemme 'lone!" She jumped at the big man and tickled him again.

"No!" He hunched over, grabbing her hands and holding them, then putting them together and wrapping an arm around her middle. "Dangit, now what? I cain't tickle you."

"Purr and rub your cheek on her," suggested Domino.

"You don't!" Mara's eyes flew open in dismay as she yanked her hands out of his grasp and used one to push his chin back while the other shoved at his arm.

He grunted and let her go as she kicked at his legs, then suddenly fell to the floor on his back and lay still.

Mara fell to her feet, then gasped in shock, her heart freezing over. "Oh...oh no," she gasped, mind going blank as she started to tremble. "What...what happened? Oh #$+&, Creed! Get up!"

He opened his eyes and looked at her in concern, then rolled to his feet and hugged her again. "I'm alright. Sheesh, kid, ain't ya ever played before?"

"Y...ya didn't get hurt?" Mara stared at him in wide-eyed shock, then punched him as hard as she could in the side of the head. "You $#+&! D'ya know how much ya scared me?! Ticklin's playin'; roughhousin's playing; fakin' yer hurt or dead ain't playing!"

-Sure it is,- came the cheeky mental comment. -Ya just gotta jump on 'im when 'e does it. Both feet.-

"I'm sorry." Creed held her close. "Take it easy."

"Heh, lookit that, Hank just keeled over," noted Ruh.

"Idiot," said Domino fondly.

"Is he okay?" asked Mara worriedly, forgetting her quarrel with Creed.

"Yes." The black haired woman went to kneel next to her husband. "Just asleep. Walt, help me put him on the table."

"Sure, Dom." The blond doctor hastily finished a Twinkie and went to grab Hank's arm and lift him.

"You people!" Mara groaned, then glared at Creed before both hands shot to his ribs again.

He gave a bellow of laughter and darted out of reach, golden eyes daring her to come after him, then paused and looked around with a frown.

"Hey, Nate," said Ruh.

"Ruh." He glanced at her. "Hey, Dom."

"Hey, yourself, idiot," she said without looking up from her sleeping husband.

Cable quirked a slight grin, then turned to Mara and offered her Jabez, who was waving her arms and legs hopefully. "Apparently it's hug time again."

"Alright, as long as I get to stay in my own head." The water girl took the baby and gave her a half-grin. "How're you, kid?"

Jabez gave an excited little squeak and smiled adorably. -Love-love!-

-Jabez!- came the mental cheer.

-Tio!- she turned her head and cracked an even bigger grin.

"Oi, convo in my head." Mara smiled, hiking her up and looking at Creed. "You're so screwed later. I'm gonna get you when you least expect it. And Stitch is gonna help me."

He blinked, then shot her a toothy grin, amber eyes twinkling. "Think so, eh?"

"The Atlantian King couldn't put up a security front that could detect me." Mara's eyes flashed, accompanying her evil grin. -How's everyone feeling? And Jabez Baby, I want a real answer. That goes for you too, Jubal.-

"Namor's a twerp." Creed turned away and eyed Ruh, who was standing with her back turned to everyone.

-Heh, that's my line,- said Jubal, moving his shoulders slightly. -I'm feelin' good. I'd feel better if they'd knock off the morphine. Gettin' really sick 'a trippin' out.-

-Jabez baby happy!- There was a rush of wordless mental joy that made Mara's head whirl.

"Tone it down, Jabez," rumbled Cable, frowning at Creed.

She growled, then wriggled and tangled her tiny fingers in Mara's hair. -Mine.-

"Heh. There's plenty a' my hair t' yank, relax," said the water girl, beaming at the child and mentally snuggling Jubal. Then she looked over at Walter. "Jubes wants you guys to cut it out with the drugs, he's getting tired of being loopy," she informed him, then made a face at Jabez. "'Cause we know drugs is bad, don't we, kid?"

The baby laughed, then frowned slightly with big eyes trained on her face. -Do 'gain.-

"I cut down the dose today." Walter came over and read the monitors, then chuckled as Jubal gave him a weak scowl. "As soon as Hank's back on his feet he'll probably cut it down further."

"Runt?" Creed walked over and put a hand on Ruh's shoulder.

She looked up at him. "Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Think I'll go patrol though. Gettin' too crowded in here." She turned to look at Mara. "See ya, kid. Take it easy."

"See ya," said Mara, then looked at Walter as the AI blinked out. "If Hank's gonna do it anyway why can't you do it now?"

"Because I don't know his whole history," said the blond doctor. "And I'm more versed in physics and gamma research than in critical trauma care."

"Fine," grumbled Mara, then noticed Jabez waiting patiently and rolled her eyes as she made a different face and growled, nuzzling the babe's cheek with her nose.

Jabez laughed out loud, one tiny fist catching the water girl on the cheek as she waved them appreciatively. Then she started as Mara's belly growled and her baby gave a leap of surprise.

-Woah, what the heck?- Jubal turned his head, eyes wide over the breathing mask. -I just about wet myself, chica. Go 'n eat.-

"Whoops, I forgot... I tried to brain Hank with my dinner last night." Mara's eyes got wide. Then she looked up at Creed and Cable and saw that they were staring each other down. "Um, hello, male people?" She frowned. "You guys awake?"

"Yup." "Yes?" they said without turning or blinking.

"Idiots," said Domino softly from where she now lay next to Hank.

"Woah, hey, cool it, you hotshots," said Walter, looking up with a frown. "I don't need this lab trashed."

Both men turned and stared at him blankly.

He looked back for a moment, then sighed. "Oh, I get it. This is mess with the sub's head."

Creed and Cable smiled slowly.

Walter shook his head and walked off. "I'd love to play, but I have to stay and keep an eye on the sick and injured."

"You two are losers." Mara shook her head, then looked to Creed. "I'm goin' up for a quick bite. You stay here n' watch Jubes?"

"Sure." He yawned hugely, then walked over to grab Hank's desk chair and drag it next to the bio bed.

"Give it back," ordered Walter.

"Make me, Sasquatch." Creed flopped into the chair and smirked.

"Be nice." Mara stopped on her way to the door and growled at him, then blinked as Jabez cooed and pulled her hair. "Oh yeah...you." She looked over at Cable, wondering if she had permission to kidnap the baby for a food break.

"Go ahead," he said absently without looking at her. "Ororo's in the kitchen."

"Alright, it's you and me, girly," Mara sighed, mentally affirming her absence with her fiancé as she left the room. "You, me, and the annoying punk boy in our heads."

Jubal gave her a mental razz.

-Quiet, you.- She laughed softly, then blinked as Jabez jerked at a knot of hair wrapped around her fist. "Hey, that's attached!"

-Jabez baby...- The tiny girl frowned in concentration and jerked again. -Got?-

"Tangled." Mara shook her head and grinned, then shifted the baby to one arm so she could work on undoing the knot. "Caught by the river hair."

Jabez repeated her mentally, her frown becoming more intense as she watched the detangling process.

Mara blinked as the hair suddenly unlooped itself, then arched an eyebrow. -Cable?-

-Not me. Jabez,- came the absent reply.

"Ah, good job." Mara smiled and rubbed the tiny girl's back. "Jabez baby good with knots."

Jabez snuggled close, then turned her head and nuzzled the front of the water girl's shirt. -Milk?-

"Sure. We'll get some from the kitchen." Mara frowned and gently moved her up to rest on her shoulder.

-No...- said Jabez uncertainly, wriggling against her in a way that made her heart melt. -Mama milk.-

"No." Mara shuddered slightly. "Mama's in the kitchen. She'll give you some."

-Mine.- There was another tug on her hair.

"Yeah? An' who's head does it grow out of?" Mara winced again and gave a half smirk as she got into the elevator. She leaned against the wall and rested her cheek on the baby's soft hair for a few moments as it rose to the ground floor, then sighed and headed for the kitchen as the door opened.

-Love-love,- said Jabez softly.

"Love what?" asked Mara, her smirk fighting to become a smile. "Who ya love? Yer mama?"

-Mama!- Her baby gave an excited jump and Jabez growled softly and squirmed.

"Your papa told you t' stop doin' that." Mara blinked and squeezed her softly, suddenly grinning like a thousand watt bulb. -Hey, baby.-

-Mama! Mama! Mama!- Each happy exclamation was accompanied by another jump.

-Baby love-love Tia,- said Jabez, sounding utterly satisfied.

"Ugh," said Mara, snuggling her and still glowing as she paused in the kitchen door.

"Mawa!!" came a scream of joy from inside.

"Hey, girl!" said Neko Lynn, looking around from where she sat at the table with Ororo and Sturmjäger.

"Neko!" The aqua punk's eyes lit up, then she grinned as she looked down at Goldie, who was surrounded by three little boys with almond eyes and tousled black hair. "Hey, kiddo, made yourself some friends, huh?"

"Mawa!" Goldie held up her arms and bounced anxiously on her diaper. "Mawa! Mawa!"

"Wow, she really likes you," said one of the little boys, who'd been offering her a beat up matchbox car.

"Won't you join us, Mara?" invited Ororo with a smile. "I can take Jabez if you wish to hold Goldie."

"Um, Jabez was hungry," agreed the water girl, handing the baby over after one last cheek rub. "Here ya go, kid. Hey, Goldie."

-Mine!- Jabez looked at her, little chin quivering.

"Mawa!" said Goldie.

-No! Mine!- Jabez growled, tiny nose wrinkling into a snarl.

"Mine!" countered Goldie, giving a growl of her own.

"Jabez, stop," said Ororo gently, smoothing the baby's hair and setting her to the breast. "Be kind to your cousin, child."

Jabez growled again, then sighed. -Milk...-

"That was weird," noted Neko Lynn, rubbing her arms and chuckling.

"Crazy kids." Sturmjäger quirked an eyebrow and leaned over to look at the nursing baby.

"I'm nobody's," said Mara as she stooped to pick Goldie up and arch an eyebrow at her. "Till I'm Jubal's, anyway. And I won't hold either of ya if you two start fightin', got it?" Then she paused and looked at Ororo. "Cousins?"

"Yes," said the white-haired woman softly. "Logan might have been Victor's half sister, so Nathan and I have decided to raise Jabez as Goldie's cousin."

"Oh." Mara blinked, then looked from Neko Lynn to the boys. "Yours?"

The furry woman nodded proudly and pointed to each of them in turn. "Little Roy, Colt, and Zane."

The boys turned at sound of their names, then looked up at Mara and gave her big grins that brought their father to mind.

"Sup, kiddies," she said, smiling back and grabbing a stool and pulling it over. "You all as good singers as your mom n' pops?"

Little Roy ducked behind Zane, who frowned thoughtfully and shrugged. "No. Nobody's as good as Mom 'n Dad." He turned and handed the car to his shy brother, then cocked his head and grinned. "You're real pretty."

"She's not gonna marry you, dude," said Colt, rolling his eyes and looking up from where he'd been trying to tie his own shoelaces together.

"I know!" Zane scowled. "She's Tio Jubes' girl. But she's still pretty."

"Don't mind them." Neko Lynn shook her head fondly. "They tend to go off into their own little world. It's a twin and triplet thing."

"They're as bad as their old man," Mara complained, shaking her head and nuzzling Goldie.

"Besides, I'm marrying Goldie," concluded Zane.

"Like #$+&!" said Little Roy indignantly.

"Woah! Time out!" Neko Lynn growled.

All three little boys returned meekly to playing with shoelaces or car.

"Fox says hi," reported Sturmjäger laconically in the ensuing silence.

"Fox?" Mara's eyes went wide. "How is she? How's Mara?"

"They're good." The winged woman twitched her ears and took a sip from her mug. "Gettin' vaited on hand und foot."

"Would you like something to drink, Mara?" asked Ororo softly.

"Um, water's fine," said the water girl, looking up from wiggling Goldie's toes as the baby leaned back against her comfortably. She blinked, then sighed and looked at the little boys, wishing absently she could buy them better toys than a beat up matchbox car, and that she could give the little kids Fox and Wolf watched over new clothes and toys and all the food they could eat. Then she frowned as she realized that she was getting both sentimental and depressed.

"Did Victor say when he was buying the brownstone?" asked Ororo as Sturmjäger got up and fetched a glass of water from the sink.

"Ve just vent 'n looked at it today." The winged woman set the water in front of Mara, then resumed her own seat and took a gulp from her steaming mug. "But he thinks it'll do. Ve just gotta vait fer buddy there ta get the papervork done."

"What's a brownstone?" asked Mara, feeling confused.

"A house," said Neko Lynn, reaching down to comfort Zane as he tripped and hit his head on the table leg.

"A house?" Mara's eyes widened. "You guys aren't movin' out, are ya?"

"Nah." Sturmjäger shrugged her wings. "It's fer Volf 'n Fox. Vic don't like 'em livin' in that ol' dump."

"But what about their Army?" Mara frowned.

"Vhat about 'em?" Sturmjäger cocked her head, looking confused now herself.

"Fox n' Wolf'll never leave 'em." The aqua punk scowled.

"Ja. I know that. Vhatcha gettin' at?" asked Sturmjäger.

"The house is for the children as well, Mara," interjected Ororo quickly, lifting Jabez to her shoulder and rubbing the baby's back as she sighed and sucked her tongue in her sleep.

"Oh, ok." Mara frowned, then nodded and looked back to Goldie, who was rocking and singing a wordless little song. "Hey, Neko, is Roy here?"

"Out in the yard, playin' in the snow with some of the guys from here." The black-furred woman set Zane down and started to show Colt how to tie the laces on her knee high boots together.

"Kay. I just thought he'd be happy to hear Jubal's been laughin' again." Mara shrugged. "So why the surprise visit?"

"Really?" Neko Lynn looked up with a grin as the other women gave exclamations of delight. "Schway!" Then she chuckled. "I came to see Hank 'n get the new ones in my belly counted, but Professor Xavier said he ain't up to visiting right now and invited us to stay the night."

"Cool!" Mara flashed her a grin. "Jubes'll be glad t' see ya."

There was a deep roar from outside.

"Woah, what the...??" Neko Lynn gently shoved her son away and bounded for the door, bootlaces trailing.

Ororo leapt to her feet as well, her eyes fading toward white as she followed the furry woman.

Mara was hot on their heels, holding Goldie protectively as the baby clung and whimpered fearfully. She skidded to a stop, absently wincing and wishing she had shoes on, then arched an eyebrow at the sight of Nekko Lynn holding Roy's arm and talking softly and hurriedly as he glowered at a pale-faced Bobby, who was being held in an arm-lock by a very large black man.

"What have I told you about freezing people's pants, Robert?" asked Jean, sounding exasperated.

"You are so stupid." Mara stared at the unfortunate man and laughed as she walked closer to Roy, waving. "Hey, man, don't bother with the boy, he ain't worth the effort."

"Careful," said Neko Lynn softly as she approached. "He's a little freaked. But he won't hurt a little kid, so you're probably safe."

"Aw, freaked?" Mara paused, then waved a little slower. "Roy? Hey buddy, you know what? Jubal's gonna be glad t' see ya. I mean, he was havin' a good time earlier, it should be a party when his best friend gets down there. Wanna go?"

The big catman tore his gaze from the quivering Bobby and frowned at her for several minutes during which Goldie kept up a steady stream of soft growling. Then he blinked and straightened. "Mara... Jubes's havin' a good time?" He rubbed his face, then glanced through his fingers at Bobby and rumbled a chuckle before quickly scooping a huge lump of snow and hitting him in the face with it. "Sorry 'bout that, man. You got the jump on me, 'n that gets me."

"Y...yeah. Sorry...me too," stuttered Bobby. "Bishop, lemme go."

The big black man looked at him thoughtfully, then lifted him up and dropped him face-first in a snow drift.

"Game's on!" called Jean's husband, hurling a snowball at his wife.

"This is nuts!" Mara yelped and jumped behind Roy as a snowball wizzed past her head. "Keep 'em off me n' baby, fuzzy!"

"Superman to the rescue!" He scooped her up in one brawny arm, then snagged Neko Lynn with the other and charged for the house like a football player making a touchdown, knocking Bishop and Kurt flying on his way to the door.

"Whoa!" Mara gasped, then winced as Goldie let out a joyful squeal and her stomach bounced excitedly. "Sheesh, puff, you've got the kids inna uproar!"

He laughed and set her down on the kitchen floor, then flopped onto his back with Neko Lynn still under his other arm, growling and grinning as his sons swarmed over him gleefully.

"Mawa! Mawa! Oom!" Goldie squirmed and pointed, clearly wanting in on the game.

"Go at him." Mara shrugged and held the baby out toward the happy pig pile. "Oi, Roy, she's ready to pile on."

"Let'er go." He lifted his head and grinned at her, huffing slightly as one of the boys started jumping up and down on his belly. Then he lay back and started to purr, ignoring the puddle of meltwater that was slowly spreading beneath him.

"Looks like he peed himself." Sturmjäger snorted from her place at the table where she cuddled Jabez against her chest. "You jump on 'im too."

"Nah... Got my share of playin' downstairs," Mara sighed and settled back into her chair, then winced as her stomach growled. "I need t' go catch a fish..."

"There's fish in the cupboard." Sturmjäger pointed with a wing-finger, then chuckled as one of the boys jumped wrong and Roy groaned and curled up like a giant shrimp.

Mara grumbled, but got up and opened the indicated cupboard, only to let out a cry as something small and green popped out at her. Slamming the door on the thing's head, she yelped again and toppled over backward.

"Woah!" Roy reached out and caught her. "Sorry, babe. Mara, you okay?"

"Oof!" said Neko Lynn mildly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," said Mara, putting a hand over the angry wriggle in her belly and getting to her feet. "I'm fine. Can I shut the door on the $&#'s head now?"

"Nah. You'll break the door." The big catman gently let go of his wife and set the children on the floor before standing and walking over and whipping the cupboard open. "Gotcha, ya little creep! Here, guys, go bang Uncle LGM's head on somethin' for awhile." He held out his cackling brother toward the triplets, who grabbed him and scrambled for the hall door. Then he took out two cans of fancy tuna and handed them to Mara. "Let's go see the Jubinator."


	18. Chapter 18

Mara paused to wriggle her toes inside Jubal's cowboy boots, then glanced around the snowy early morning landscape before continuing on her way toward the pond. She believed Creed when he'd told her she wouldn't be getting any fish through the ice right now, but she still wanted to go and make sure for herself.

The baby jigged and played tap-tap-poke with the waistband of her red plaid pyjama pants, and she grinned and rubbed her belly gently, her mind going to the night before and how good it felt to sleep in a normal hospital bed instead of a bio bed.

"He's ben outta the bed for a week now, kiddo." She grinned and patted the playful lump. "'N you still freak out every time you hear his voice."

-Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!- said the little voice in her mind gleefully.

"Yeah." Her smile went tender. "Daddy." Then she thought of Creed and shook her head. The big former con was away a lot of the time, getting to know Fox and her family, but when he was at the School he always had a gruff word or a playful cuff just for her. "Yeah. Daddy."

Then her thoughts went to Hank and his tendency to pussy-foot around her and she scowled. "Stupid freakin' wuss."

-Mama! Mama! Mama!- Her belly moshed.

Mara chuckled, then yelped in surprise as she felt her feet suddenly shoot out from under her. _Oh no! Gotta protect baby...!_

She landed on her back with stunning force, seeing stars and struggling to get her lungs working as the breath was knocked out of her.

She clung to awareness, unable to tell up from down as she tried to curl around her stomach. -WHAT THE #$+&?!?-

-Chica?- The familiar voice burst through her fading consciousness. -Hold on! Hank's comin'!-

Mara winced, her brain whirling with panic as her baby pounded in her stomach and a bird screeched somewhere overhead. She could feel ice biting at her cheek as her eyes slipped shut.

Then strong arms lifted her, jarring her so that her straining lungs could fill, and she gave a cry of pain and fear.

"Shh, Mara," murmured Hank, his hands checking her quickly and carefully for injury.

"How is the baby?" asked Kurt anxiously.

"Angry." The blue doctor chuckled through his concern as the unborn gave his hand a full-blown shoulder shove.

"Ow." Mara's eyes filled with tears. "My...my head...what happened?"

"It appears that you slipped upon the ice," rumbled Hank gently, holding her close to his warmth as his fingers took the elastic from her hair and then gently probed the injured area. "Only a bruise." He patted her cheek. "Open your eyes, I need to see if you've concussed yourself."

She did so, making out his face through the blur over her eyes as her fingers instinctively closed on a handful of his chest fur.

"#$+& +&#$, that was so #$&+ stupid," she groaned.

"Ouch..." He flinched.

"That's vhat you get for running around vithout a shirt." Kurt snorted.

"Sorry," Mara rasped, letting go and recoiling into herself. "Ow...my baby, is he ok?"

Hank's arm gently squeezed her shoulders as he pressed her eyelids open. Then he took something from his belt and held it to her belly, chuckling as the baby gave it another huge wack. "Oh yes. There is nothing wrong with Jubal Jr."

-Logan,- said Jubal, sounding relieved as he sent a wash of love to Mara through their link.

"Logan," she agreed, sending back the love and then looking up at Hank. "I feel like an idiot, you know. Leggo."

"And risk you falling again in this unsuitable foot gear?" He smiled down at her, golden eyes twinkling. "I think not."

"These boots are awesome! And cold proof." Mara scowled.

"Still, I would be amiss to allow such a lovely damsel to come to harm." He gave her a big toothy grin that had Kurt chuckling, then leaped exuberantly to his feet and bounded toward the mansion. "Fear not, fair maid! The Bouncing Blue Beast will rescue thee!"

"WHAT ARE YA...! PUMME DOWN!" shrieked Mara, grabbing his fur and curling up defensively as she squeezed her eyes shut. "You'll drop us!!"

"The Mighty McCoy has never dropped a lady yet!" He rumbled a laugh and kept going, swooping into the elevator as the door slid open and pressing the button with his toe before pausing to pin Domino into the corner and give her a peck on the cheek.

"Get off, you lug. How is she?" asked his wife, sounding dryly amused.

"Sore in need of succor and rescue," intoned Hank. "Since her knight in armor is unable to provide the latter I am fetching her down to him that he may provide the former."

"You're nuts. Kiss me again and shut up."

"Make him let me go!" Mara pleaded, looking at the woman with wide blue eyes.

"I'm a little stuck." Domino looked down at where the water girl's shoulder pressed her against the wall. "And if I tickle him the nerd just might drop you."

Then the door opened and Mara gave another breathless shriek as Hank whirled and bore her down the hallway and through the lab, finally depositing her in triumph on the side of Jubal's bed.

"Y' really gotta cut down on the Twinkies, Blue," said the black-haired teen dryly, reaching a hand toward his fiancée.

"Jubes." Mara grabbed his hand, then squirmed and frowned at Hank. "I thought you were mad at me."

The furry blue man shook his head as he stooped to pull her borrowed boots from her feet. "No," he rumbled as he stood and gently lay her back against the raised head of the bed. "Why should I be angry at you?"

"I stole your cat form...n' I dunno. You always frown at me." Mara scowled, wrapping both hands around Jubal's and apologizing to him with a shamed frown and downward glance.

"Stole my..." Hank paused to blink at her, then laughed again and blurred into the sabertooth, setting his big forepaws on the bed beside her and sticking his nose to hers as his golden eyes gazed into hers benignly.

"Sheesh." Jubal chuckled and shoved him gently under the chin. "Knock it off, Hank. Yer, like, gonna get blue fuzz all over my bed."

"Whoa! You're...a double wer?" Mara stared at him, then scowled. "Why haven't you thanked me yet?!"

Hank gave a rumble of a massive purr and licked her nose.

"Dom! Blue's kissin' another woman!" called Jubal, shaking with laughter.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew!" Mara slugged Hank upside the snout and wiped her face furiously.

He gave a comical squeak and collapsed to the floor just as his wife looked in.

"Oh, this is too good to pass up." She pounced.

"Argh!" whooped the slightly less deep voice of Hank's full human form. "No! Fairest Dom, have mercy upon me!"

"Nope. You're getting sat on and tickled."

"Sheesh, you two, get a room." Jubal scowled and put an arm around Mara's shoulders, turning his attention back to the cartoons on the television.

She grinned and put her head on his shoulder, also turning her eyes toward the screen. "Ninja Turtles? Again? Weren't they on this morning?" She made a face.

"Different season, Chica." He smirked as Hank gave a bellow and Domino laughed out loud. "This is the first series."

"Sheesh, you two. Get a room." Ruh stepped around the couple on the floor and perched herself next to Mara's feet. "What's on?"

"Turtles," said Jubal contentedly.

The AI cocked her head, then chuckled as the TV suddenly switched to 'The Adventures of Batman'.

"Hey!" Jubal lifted his head to look at her. "How'd you do that?"

"I'm hardwired inta the whole house, darlin'." Ruh folded her arms over her chest and settled down to watch the show.

"Yay for something non repetitive," Mara sighed, patting Jubal's hand as she snuggled in. "It's ok. That episode repeats every week, anyway."

-Mama! Mama! Mama!- The baby danced, then turned over, leaving Jubal gasping and green at the gills.

"Ugh, dangit, kid, you tryin' t' git yer mama mad at me?" he griped as Domino let Hank up and sauntered out of the room.

Mara gave him a withering look. "You stop that right now, or I'll..."

"Wasn't blockin' anythin' bad." He nuzzled his nose against her cheek, blue eyes dancing roguishly. "Just feelin' what you are." He gasped again. "'N I ain't doin' it no more, 'cause that's too freakin' weird."

-Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!- said the baby, moshing excitedly.

Ruh cocked an eye at Jubal. "Doin' what, scrub?"

"Try living with it." Mara grinned in triumph. Then she looked at Ruh and rolled her eyes. "He was blockin' what the baby's doin' t' my body."

The AI chuckled and shot her protégé a fond look, then turned back to the TV.

Jubal pushed up on his elbow to look down at her with concern. "Like, I can take it, chica."

"You're not meant to." Mara frowned. "I was looking at that parenting stuff in a book Jean gave me. You're supposed to be the support structure while I take it. Then, when Logan's born, we share. You're jumping straight into the share time."

"So what'm I supposed t' do? Just, like, watch you suffer?" He frowned back worriedly. "Oh, wait, maybe this'll work." He whipped up her shirt and gave the belly a massive poot, causing the baby to jump in surprise.

"No, ya freakin' brat," Mara laughed, pushing him away. "When you're up and healthy again you're supposed to get me icecream and the food I'm craving, and understand when I snap, and..." she tried to remember. "Oh yeah. Sometimes guys get sympathy pregnancies."

"That dweeb Wisdom got sympathy morning sickness." He came back and lay his head gently on her belly, eyes closed in contentment.

Mara looked down at him, then glanced at Ruh as she remembered the AI talking about how her husband had been into cuddling her belly, only to see a look of shock and pain on the ghost's shadowed face.

"Ruh?" she said, feeling her gut plummet. "You ok?"

"Logan?" croaked the AI. "Yer namin' the baby Logan?"

"Yeah." Jubal turned his face toward her. "Like, why not?"

"After what she put ya through?"

He shook his head. "Wolvie, get off it. 'N quit the 'she' #$+& too. Like, so you're not the Wolvie I knew. Yer still a Logan. They're yer memories 'n it'd hurt a lot freakin' less if y' just went ahead 'n acted like yerself."

"Amen," said Hank softly as he pulled himself off the floor and left the room.

Jubal took Mara's hand and kissed it, then let it go as he shoved himself back up into his pillow. "Like, I gotta talk to Wolvie, chica. Can ya gimme a few minutes?"

"No problem." Mara looked back into the serious blue eyes only inches from her own, then touched his hand. I'll see you in a bit."

"Thanks, babe." He smiled, sending her love through the link.

She shivered slightly, then gave him a gentle smirk before sitting and swinging her feet to the floor. She frowned as her head gave a faint throb, then stood and left the room, closing the door gently behind her.

"Where goest thou?" Hank looked up from his desk as she passed him.

She razzed him and continued on her way, making it to the hall before she got lightheaded and had to sit down for a moment, leaning back against the wall as she touched her belly and sighed. "Sheesh, kid. Your mama whacked herself good."

There was a low whicker and soft whiskers tickled her cheek.

"Hey, girl." Mara smiled, reaching up slowly and rubbing Penny's nose. "Still patrolling the halls, huh?"

The slender filly lipped her fingers carefully and made gentle little whiffling sounds.

Mara chuckled regretfully. "Sorry. The cookies are in Hank's desk. I'll get ya some in a bit, alright?"

Penny looked at her through her big soft eyes, then nodded and lowered herself to lay next to her companionably.

"Heh," said Mara, stroking her neck. They sat comfortably for a moment. Then the aqua punk blinked as she thought of her best friend. "Hey, girl, you wanna go visit Donnie? He was looking worn out last time I saw him. And it's in the pool room, you know, warm and salty."

Penny perked her ears and whickered, looking around and then up at the water girl as she pushed herself carefully to her feet.

"Come," said Mara, pointing up towards the ceiling. "Donnie's in the pool room, you know, water?"

Penny scrambled up and gave her a gentle bump with her nose, then pranced away with her short curly tail in the air.

Mara smiled, then shook her head and held out her palm. "I'm sorry, I can't right now. I hit my head and I'm dizzy."

Penny bucked and galloped away, then came back and tagged her gently before racing off again.

Mara smiled and walked at her, one hand trailing along the wall.

Penny gave a squeal of delight and thundered away, her little red shoes flashing. Then she stood by the elevator door and called anxiously for Mara to hurry.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm not a four legged bundle of energy, kid." The water girl smiled, doing her best to hurry as her baby bounced happily. She put a hand on her stomach and tried to soothe him. "Sheesh, kid, you're as overdramatic as the horse."

He pushed against it, then snuggled and went to sleep.

Keeping one hand on her baby and setting the other on Penny's back, Mara walked into the elevator and hit the button with her elbow, then smiled at Penny's usual start as the elevator started moving.

"It's ok," she soothed.

Penny nuzzled her hand, then trotted out happily when the doors opened, pausing to sniff the air before prancing in the direction of the pool.

Mara laughed. "Yeah. I knew ya knew where we were going."

The pool room was dim as she walked into it, and silent except for the soft burble of the filter and the tap of Penny's hoofs. Tail in the air, the copper filly tiptoed toward the water, only to start and give a squeal of distress as she looked into it.

Mara strode over and looked in herself, then gasped in horror as she caught sight of Hayle lying at the bottom. Throwing off her jacket, she dove in, feeling the warmth of Donnie all around her as she gently brought the injured girl to the surface. Teeth gritted in fear, she carefully lay her on her stomach at the pool side, then froze and wondered how to get the water out of her lungs without hurting her worse.

Then she started as Hayle frowned and started to cough.

"Wha...?" The girl opened her eyes disorientedly and spat water.

There was a splash from the pool. "Hayle?? Mara? What...what happened?"

Mara started again in shock, unable to tell what was more startling, the fact that Hayle had suddenly burst back to life or that she had woken up. She gasped and looked over at the worn, exhausted-looking Donnie as she tried to understand what was going on. Then her head started to pound and she groaned and slipped back into the water.

"Mara?" Donnie melted and surrounded her. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"What the #$&+?" she managed to mutter.

"Mara?" Donnie soothed her forehead. "I...I've got to get Hayle. Are you okay? What happened?"

"Came in t' see how you were, saw her in the bottom of the pool, thought she drowned...sheesh, is she ok?" Mara groaned. "Gerroff, I'm fine."

"Bottom of the pool!!" Donnie surged out of the water, taking human form as he left it.

"Oi," said Mara, rubbing her forehead as she looked after him and frowning as she considered how calm Hayle had been when she'd wakened. Every other drowning person she'd ever pulled from the water had freaked the moment they'd come to.

Then she looked down and saw Donnie's shorts laying below her.

"Oh. Crud." She went bright red and scooped them up, then surfaced and held them out with one hand, keeping the other planted firmly over her eyes. "Um, Donnie? Donnie!"

"Yes? OH NO!" They were snatched from her grasp.

"Mara?" said a soft, unfamiliar voice. "Is she hurt? Do we protect her? Mara? I'm scared!"

Mara waited a moment, then carefully lowered the hand to see Donnie bright red but intent on his patient.

Then someone moved on the other side of them and the aqua punk started in amazement as she saw a slender, black-skinned girl; naked and hovering fearfully over Hayle. "P...Penny?" She heaved herself out of the pool, her eyes returning to Hayle. "Is she ok? #$+&, I didn't hurt her, did I?"

"No..." Donnie frowned slightly. "She's okay. Better than before. Hayle, can you hear me?"

"Kay." Mara moved over to Penny and lifted her to her feet, making soft shushing sounds as the girl pressed into her side, still fearfully asking what to do. "Shh." She put her arms around her. "Penny? It's ok, girl, she's safe, everybody's fine...shh...sheesh, we gotta find you clothes."

"Clothes?" Penny's pointed ears twitched beneath her torrent of copper hair. "What's that? Oh! What's that?" She looked down as the baby gave her a friendly boot.

"D...Donnie?" said Hayle slowly. "W...what...what happened?

"Shh," he said, pushing her damp hair away from her face tenderly. "I dropped you in the water. How do you feel?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Good. Sleepy. I...I was breathing in the water, but it felt...it felt..." She shivered slightly.

"Safe?" said Donnie gently, his fingers still resting on the side of her face.

"Yeah," she whispered.

Donnie wiped a tear away from her cheek with his thumb, his face creased with a mixture of emotions.

"That's my baby, kiddo," said Mara softly, her lip trembling slightly as she stared down at her best friend. Then she turned away abruptly. "C'mon. Clothes, y'know, things to cover you up and keep you warm when you're not prancing around with fur and a mane."

Penny frowned up at her uncomprehendingly, then squealed and shifted back as Hank skidded into the room.

"What happened?" he barked, kneeling on the other side of Hayle.

"I fell asleep and dropped her in the water." Donnie wiped his face absently with one hand and looked around for Mara. "But she's okay."

"How is this?" said Hank softly, listening to the girl's back with his stethoscope.

"Kid's a water breather. Donnie, if it's alright I'm gonna get Penny outta here," said Mara, putting one arm around the girl's back and stroking her nose gently as she trembled.

"Wait just a moment, Mara," rumbled Hank gently, shooting her a look of understanding before he turned back to Donnie. "Here, help me to return her to the pool, young Donavan."

"Alright." Donnie relaxed slightly and carefully slipped his hands under one side of Hayle as Hank did the same on her other side. "Careful. Shh, Hayle, it's alright. We'll have you back in a minute."

Mara watched as Donnie disappeared underneath the surface for a few minutes. She was just about to leave when the water was again disrupted.

"Remember your shorts," she said, still stroking Penny.

"I've got them." He blushed right down to his chest as he climbed out and came over to stand next to her. "I'm really sorry about that."

"Wasn't my shorts in the water, it's fine," she said, half smirking at him. "You gonna be ok? You look like you've duked it out with a shark. Only, you know, without the blood n' guts."

He ducked his head and chuckled slightly. "Yeah. Thanks." He looked up, dark eyes twinkling. "So you're going?"

"I think I've done what damage I can today," said Mara, rubbing the back of her neck and half shrugging. "Besides. You need sleep and Jean needs to know she'd better keep spare clothes around for Penny. Hey...you like Hayle, right? N' she knows your name...that's cool."

"Yeah..." He looked slightly confused, clearly not understanding her question, then blinked and blushed again. "She does!"

"Yeah...ok, you're bright red, shouldn't you be smiling?" Mara arched an eyebrow. "Or are you gonna tell me I've been a prat for the third time today? Because if so I'm gonna need to find a lockable closet somewhere to stay in."

"You're not a prat." He put his arms around her and hugged her, then started as the baby gave him what felt like a headbutt. "Woah."

"Give me a few days." Mara smirked, then patted her belly. "I so can't wait to see him chasing you around t' headbutt you without my stomach being in the middle of it."

Donnie chuckled again, his shy flush not lessening as he looked down and hesitantly put his hand next to hers. "Hi, Logan."

The baby hid.

"You're a brat," Mara told her stomach. "You hit him; now say hi. Or sorry. Or both."

There was only a sly tap from the other side of the belly, where Penny was hiding her face. The filly perked her ears and lifted her head to look at it, then snuffled and shook her head.

"It's okay," said Donnie, smiling. Then he yawned so hard that his jaw popped. "Whoops! Sorry."

"Best rest yourself, Donavan," rumbled Hank, stepping out of the pool and squeezing the water from his fur, then scratching his head and shifting to full human.

"Yes, sir." Donnie gave Mara a last hug. "I'll see you later. Only three more days."

"Yeah...go to sleep. Next time you're on your feet I'm gonna teach this kid how to talk to his mama's best friend," said Mara, half smiling at the reference to her wedding date. "Go on, bride's boy, get!"

He grinned and cupped Penny's dainty muzzle for a moment, then turned and slipped into the water, where he vanished without a ripple.

Hank watched him, then turned back to Mara and offered her his arm. "Wouldst walk with me?"

"Why? Who put you up to this? What's your aim?" growled Mara, staring him down before she blinked and shrugged. "Ok. Sounds acceptable."

He chuckled, the sound coming out a little off from his human chest, then reached to offer his free hand to Penny, who snorted at it with wide eyes and then high-tailed it out of the room and away.

"You really are a lady's man." Mara rolled her eyes, then put a finger on his arm. "That's all you're getting."

He gently took her hand and pulled it through the loop of his arm, then led her in the copper filly's wake. "Logan used to accuse me of being such. But I failed to see any truth in the matter. One must needs be physically attractive, and I have not been counted so for a good many years."

"You got hitched," Mara reminded him. "N' people who are drunk usually aren't countin' on the great, intelligent conversation for stuff like that. Dom found something she liked."

"Her exact words were, 'I could've done worse'," he said wryly, then squeaked and jinked sideways slightly as the lady in question poked him in the ribs and linked her arm through his other one.

"I could have," she said softly, her violet eyes twinkling with rogue mischief at Mara. "And I'm #$+& glad I didn't. You know what kind of scum hangs out in Vegas."

"Yeah, me too. I've heard there's nothing scarier than a furry bachelor." Mara shuddered, then stuck out her tongue at her. "Freaking solo plushie."

"Love, could I have a moment to speak with Miss River?" Hank looked down at her, brown eyes soft with adoration. Then he blinked and sucked in his bare stomach as Penny returned and tagged him with a stiff nose-butt. "Oof!"

"Sure, Hank." Domino glanced through a sitting room door as they passed, then did a quick U-turn and went inside. "Well, hello, Emma."

"I'm outta here!" Bobby bolted out of the room and past Hank and Mara.

"Coward!" Mara called, snickering as she looked at her companion. "What's going on? Gonna give me another lecture about cuddling Jubes?"

"I have not done such for several days," he protested with a smile, shivering and switching to his furry form as they came into the foyer and the draft from the open front door. "My stars and garters, does no one close the door?" He let go her arm and went to do so, making a meep sound as Penny tagged him again.

"My head's still ringing from it, too." Mara chuckled. Then she looked at him. "I guess not. Maybe we should hire a doorman, you know, one with the little red hat? And the white gloves and mustache."

He snorted, then scratched the back of his head and looked down at her thoughtfully. "I fear me that we've started off on the wrong foot, Miss River. Words cannot express my gratitude for the part you played in saving my life, and I suspect me that you'd rather I not try. Still, know that it is deep, and that I consider you a friend."

"Oh, by all means call me an angel and buy me presents and thank me every time you see me, just as long as I don't have to hear or see any of it." Mara half smiled. "But don't try the dying thing again, 'cause I think Jean'd be TO'd." She paused, then stared at him for a moment. "It's ok you think I'm a friend. But no more moping when you come back to life. I hate moping. Only I get to mope...and sometimes Jubal."

"T'was not moping." His canines glimmered slightly in the light as he reached out a hand and took a playful swipe at Penny that made the filly squeal and spin out on the hardwood floor as she fled once more. "I was so deeply touched as to be embarrassed at the very thought of addressing you. And I still remembered the anger and violence of your earlier responses to me. Besides..." He grinned broadly. "Beasts do not sulk."

"Moping, not sulking." Mara giggled. "Moping is being sad. Sulking's being mad. Sheesh. I thought you were smart."

He chuckled and held out his arms invitingly, eyes twinkling.

"There is no way in #$+& I'm hugging yo-OU!" Mara yelped as Penny gently butted her into his embrace, which promptly closed. "If you purr I'm blowing my nose in your fur." She scowled at the blue blur in front of her eyes.

He rumbled another chuckle, then sighed as the door opened and a deep growl reverberated through the foyer. "Good morning, Victor, I trust you had a nice run."

Creed growled again.

"Um, that wasn't the 'hey, kid, I'm glad t' see ya, lemme rub my greasy ol' nose on yer stomach' growl." Mara turned her head and batted her eyes as Logan started to mosh excitedly at hearing his second favorite sound.

"Oof." Hank laughed and looked down. "If he strikes so handily now I tremble to think what his movements will be like as he nears birth."

"Let. Her. Go," snarled Creed.

Hank ignored him, totally unfazed by the show of temper.

The aqua punk's eyes were wide, but she half shrugged and pulled away slightly. "Hey, Fuzzy, it's ok, I'm not into bears. Besides, it was the horses' fault."

"Horse?" Creed's eyes went wide. "Oh dang, where is she?"

"My stars and garters." Hank looked around, then switched back to human form and walked down the hall toward the conservatory.

Mara rolled her eyes and whistled, then cocked her head and listened. "Good one, Creed, you scared her int' hiding."

He sighed. "I don't hear...did she change back?"

Mara glanced at him, then walked the same way Hank had, whistling again. Hearing a soft murmur of her name, she walked over to a closet and set her hand on the door. "Penny, it's me. Don't be afraid."

"Mara!" came the tearful answer.

She blinked and peeked inside, then closed the door and turned to Hank, who was watching her questioningly. "Go get clothes. Like, size four or five."

He nodded and slipped past her in the direction of the basement stairs.

"She's changed back," rumbled Creed softly.

"Kitty!" cried Penny from inside the closet.

"What?" His face dropped.

"She said 'kitty'. Get your hearing checked." Mara rolled her eyes, then leaned over and opened the door slightly. "Easy, kid, the blue furry dude just went to give you clothes, there's laws against streaking in this country, sadly."

"I want out." Penny pushed against the door. "I want Kitty."

Mara peeked in, then sighed and grabbed somebody's duster coat that hung from the rod. "Put this on." She put it around the girl and carefully directed her arms into the sleeves, then buttoned it. "Okay." She stepped back and swung the door open. "Have at him, kiddo."

Penny tiptoed out and peered around, ears twitching, then she hurried over to Creed and leaned against him. "Do you have candy? Please?"

He looked down at her bemusedly. "Yer not a horse, sweetheart."

She cocked her head. "What?"

"Look." He took her hand and showed it to her. "Yer a person. Like me'n Mara."

Penny started and squealed, then hid her face against his side.

"What's amiss?" asked Hank softly as he returned with grey sweatshirt and pants in hand.

"He's proving to Penny that she's not a baby horse," said Mara, grinning at him. "It's ok. Despite she's in a coat that smells like it's loaded with stale cigarette smoke."

"My stars and garters." Hank's eyes suddenly glistened as he looked at the trailing garment. "Yes...Remy smoked heavily to the last, despite all efforts to convince him otherwise."

"Oh." Mara frowned. "I'm...I'm sorry, I just grabbed what was there, the kid was ready to streak down the hall, n' I thought..."

"Tis no matter. He wouldn't mind." Hank put an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm scared!" said Penny, her voice muffled by Creed's white wifebeater.

"Why?" He rumbled softly and stroked her hair. "Yer too pretty t'be scared."

"Pretty?" Her ears perked.

"Yeah." He grinned. "Pretty as Mara, at least."

"I look like Mara?" She turned her head to look at the aqua punk, then gave an excited little shiver. "Do I?"

"I'm tired, haven't swam in the last week besides a failed rescue attempt, and pregnant." Mara chuckled at her, leaning her head on Hank's shoulder. "You don't wanna look like me right now, you're a lot prettier."

Penny cocked her head, big eyes bright. "But I do! Look! I'm the same shape. I look like you!" She started and looked at Hank as he rumbled with soft laughter, then gave a little whickery chuckle of her own and smiled.

"Yeah. You're a girl's shape." Mara laughed, then glanced at Creed and blinked at the fond pride glowing on his craggy face.

A door slammed somewhere upstairs and Penny snorted and turned to run, only to trip over the trailing hem of the coat and go down in a tangle of long limbs and bright hair.

"Careful!" Mara's breath caught, but she held herself back as Hank and Creed jumped forward to help.

"Oww!" came the soft complaint as the young wer was sat up. "That hurt! I need a cookie."

Creed chuckled as Hank finished his quick check and sat back on his heels. "Sure ya do, baby. How about we get ya one after ya get some clothes on?"

Penny leaned back and frowned up at him. "I have clothes on."

"Y'need nicer ones." Creed stood and gently hauled her to her feet, then shoved her carefully toward the water girl. "Ones y' won't trip over."

Mara caught her, then scooped her up and wrinkled her nose. "And ones that smell better, too. Hank, gimme the clothes."

The blue man stood and handed them to her. "I would not advise carrying our bright sprite. Though she be most slender she is still large enough to cause untoward strain."

"Whatever the heck that means," grumbled Creed.

"I love you." Penny nuzzled her cheek affectionately. "But I really need a cookie."

"Just give us a minute, n snatch the clothes, kiddo. Then we'll have an all you can eat buffet of cookies." Mara beamed at her as Penny hesitantly grabbed the offering. "Oh, n' Hank? Don't worry so much." The aqua punk turned and carried the girl to the nearest bathroom.


	19. Chapter 19

"Okay." She set her down on the floor and took the coat off her, then pulled her a little closer and gently popped the sweatshirt over her head. "See, you can run around now and not fall."

Penny looked down at herself and plucked at the shirt, then lifted the sleeve to her mouth to sniff and taste it.

Mara chuckled, then knelt and gently tugged on the twelve-year-old's right ankle, smiling as Penny started and grabbed onto her head. "Shh, it's okay, you're not gonna fall." She pulled the sweatpants over that foot, then repeated the maneuver with the other foot. "There," she said, pulling the pants up and then smoothing Penny's hair. "See? Normal clothes. Let's go find those cookies."

Penny took her hand obediently, but then turned toward the mirror. "I don't see the pony. She's usually in there, but now she's not. I see you, and a girl."

Mara smiled and pulled her close. "You know what? The pony and the girl are the same person, and you know why they are?"

"No." Penny shook her head slowly.

Mara beamed and squeezed her shoulder gently. "They're you." She laughed softly.

The copper-haired girl started, eyes going wide. "Oh! Right! You're in there, so I'm in there too! And I do look like you! I'm pretty!" She gave a little whickery sound of delight and pranced like an excited foal.

Mara laughed. "You're beautiful, kiddo. When you get older all the guys are gonna be struck dumb when you walk in the room. You're a star."

Penny looked up at her with shining eyes, then suddenly looped strong arms around her neck and pulled her head down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Aw." The water girl beamed and kissed her back, grabbing the coat and returning it to the closet on the way to the kitchen.

"Hey." Dandelion looked up from where she sat on the counter as they came in.

Mara grinned and reached out to brush the little girl's cheek fondly. "Hey, kid, what's up?"

"Trying to figure out if I did these math things right." Dandelion noticed Penny and frowned. "Who're you?"

"Hi, Dandi!" Penny kissed her on the cheek.

Dandelion wiped the kiss off, her frown darkening as she moved closer to Mara.

"She's Penny, she's the little horse that's been running around," explained the aqua punk, putting an arm around the shy child. "She's fine, sweetie, show her that pretty smile a' yours."

Dandelion blinked, then her thin face lit up in a wide grin. "Penny? You changed back! Right on! Gimme a hug!"

Penny whickered and leaned against her, bobbing her head happily. "I look different now. But I'm pretty! I look like Mara!"

Dandelion glanced from one to the other. "Yeah, you do. That's great. Here, Aunty Jeanie made cookies yesterday, 'n I can give you some now that yer a girl."

"See? Cookies abound." Mara grinned and ruffled Penny's hair, then walked over to Hank's 'secret' stash of Twinkies. "As for me, Logan takes after Jubal way too much, so I'm stuck with yucky yellow logs. Save a cookie for me later though, those look awesome."

"Logan?" Dandelion looked around from showing Penny how to poke her finger into the frosting that held two homemade chocolate chip cookies together, then blinked and took a hasty bite as the older girl decided to share. "Mmph. Didn't that used to be Ruh's name?"

"Yeah. Jubal and I decided t' name baby boy after her." Mara nodded as she dug a Twinkie out of the box, then frowned. "Stupid blue gut, there's only one left!"

"Cool." Dandelion made sure Penny was eating her treat properly, then slid down the counter and hopped down to lay her head against Mara's belly. "Hey, Logan, are you awake?"

Mara smiled as she felt the baby give a sleepy bounce in response to the hug. "Hey kid, am I still gonna get these after Logan's out to be hugged on his own?" She batted her eyelashes at the girl.

"Yeah," said Dandelion without looking up. "Why not?" She chuckled at a soft snuggle. "He's tired."

"Yeah, he's been moshing for a while now." Mara took a bite of Twinkie and grimaced. "I'd be scared if he wasn't."

Dandelion chuckled and backed away, then frowned and looked at her hand.

"I can get another one," said Penny, sounding pleased.

Mara looked over to see Penny digging through the cookie jar, and smiled. "Yeah, just don't eat them all, kiddo."

The coltish wer smiled back, eyes dancing with delight, then started as Dandelion gave a cry of pain and surprise.

"Dandi! What happened?!" Mara snatched away the Twinkie that the child was staring at, then went to one knee and pulled her close, alarmed by the pallor of her face. "Are you ok?"

"It...it just appeared in my hand," whispered Dandelion, shivering and leaning against her. "I thought about gettin' another Twinkie for ya...'n there it was." She twisted her face up and shook harder. "My hand hurts."

"Dandi?" Penny came and knelt next to them, reaching one hand toward her younger friend's face. "Don't cry, Dandi. I love you. I'm here."

"I don't feel good." Dandelion hid her face against Mara's damp T-shirt.

"$&#," said Mara, putting her hand against the girl's forehead and feeling a high fever. She stared in shock as her tough 'little sister' began to cry, then scooped her up, not even noticing the weight as she headed towards the door. "Hold on, Dandi, I've got you, baby. We'll get you to Hank, alright? He'll fix you up - Penny, come with me."

The wer-girl nodded, then turned and galloped out of the room, heading toward the sound of voices and laughter that came from the sitting room.

"Hank!" Mara rushed in after her. "Hank, something's wrong with Dandi!"

He was on his feet in and instant, gently scooped the shaking nine year old from her arms. "Can'st tell me the symptoms?"

"She made something in her hand, and it freaked her out, and then she said it hurt her, and now she's crying and she feels like a furnace." Mara trembled slightly.

"Made something in her hand?" Hank looked up from where he cradled Dandelion on one knee.

"A Twinkie." The aqua punk hunkered down beside him. "She said she'd wanted to give me one and it suddenly appeared."

"Ah." His face relaxed slightly, though his expression continued grave. "She's manifesting."

"Already?" said Bobby, frowning. "But she's only nine."

"She's had a hard run of it," said Emma softly, blue eyes focused on something else as she rubbed her belly. "That can age one before one's time."

"Will she be ok?" asked Mara, still hovering anxiously.

"Barring complications, yes." Hank held the little girl to his chest and tapped at the cuff he wore. "Victor, are you finished showering? No, Kendell is manifesting and is sore ill of it. We shall meet you on the way to the medlab." He nodded and hit another button, then stood and offered Mara his free hand. "Art coming?"

"Course." She gave him a blank look and took it, then rubbed her belly comfortingly as it tapped cautiously.

Hank gently pulled her to her feet. "I will see thee anon, Robert, Emma. Remember that we are to look upon thine unborn later in the day." Nodding to his friends' comments, he turned and walked out of the room, rumbling absently as Dandelion gave a choked whimper.

"Shh, baby girl." Mara rubbed the little girl's foot, then looked at the blue doctor. "Are all manifests this painful?"

"Methinks the pain is due to the form that her mutation has taken," he rumbled absently, adjusting Dandelion's position in his arms and making soothing sounds.

"What is it, anyway?" Mara frowned and slid her arm around Penny, who was walking close to her side again. "What kinda mutation makes Twinkies outta thin air?"

"Give 'er here." The growl made the little wer start and whicker anxiously.

"Stop growling, you dumb blonde! You wanna give Penny a heart attack?" huffed Mara, protectively holding the girl close.

He started and flicked his eyes toward her, then looked down as Hank lay Dandelion in his outstretched arms. "Shh, baby. Everythin's gonna be okay."

"Cold..." She muttered, screwing up her face. "'N hurts!"

"I know." He cuddled her close, rough face full of concern. "It's gonna be alright."

"Oh, he's scared," said Penny softly, peeking over Mara's arm. "Kitty's scared and sad."

"Yeah, but he'll be ok," said the water girl softly, gazing at the two. "And so will Dandi."

"Let us go, that I may ease her discomfort," urged Hank gently.

Creed looked up as though he'd forgotten the other man was there, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. Let's go."

Hank's face showed sudden understanding. "She will be well, my friend. This is naught more than the usual illness of manifestation, accompanied by misuse of her gift."

"See? All normal." Mara's eyebrows rose. Then she sighed. "Blue? What the $#&+ kinda power makes Twinkies?"

"She is a matter producer." The doctor pressed the button for the elevator.

"What's that mean?" demanded Creed.

"It means that she can create things from her own matter. With time t'will no longer be painful." Hank looked down at the white-haired child, his golden eyes guarded. "But still, 'tis a gift that will need to be used with extreme caution."

"Wait, she made that Twinkie out of herself?" Mara made a choked sound. "What the heck can that kinda power be used for anyway?"

The blue doctor gave her a wry look as they got into the elevator. "What use blue hair? Or the mental processes of a horse when one is human? Mutant abilities are not things that we may choose for their usefulness."

Mara scowled, but dropped the discussion, instead crouching and pulling Penny down beside her as she got light-headed.

Hank and Creed both looked at her.

"What's wrong?" growled her heart-father, his amber eyes narrowing.

"She slipped and hit her head earlier." Hank crouched next to her. "Dost require assistance, Mara?"

"Lemme 'lone. I'm fine," she huffed, pushing at him.

"As you wish." He stood as the elevator doors slid open.

"You don't smell fine." Penny nuzzled her gently, whickering.

"Ignore it." Mara stroked her hair, then slowly started to get up, only to pause as her head swam. Grumbling to herself, she sat back down and smiled at Penny. "But I'm worn out. Go with Hank n' Kitty, I'm gonna take a break from the excitement for a minute. I'll catch up."

Penny shook her head, ears going back under her bright torrent of hair.

"You're not a pony, and you're not abandoning me. Dandi needs you right now, not some tired pregnant chick. Go." Mara smiled at her and tried to shoo her away, but the girl stuck out her delicate chin and remained rooted.

"I won't give you any more cookies for a week," begged the aqua punk. "Go on, kid. Get!"

Penny shook her head, then tossed it. "NO!!"

"Kid, please, just go." Mara put a hand to her head. "My head hurts, kid, alright? I hit it this mornin'. I need t' have some alone time to make it right again. Please go, Dandi's gonna need you with her anyway." Then she gave a squawk of outrage as small arms abruptly hoisted her off the floor and bore her out of the elevator. "What the...! Oi, Ruh, you're gonna make me hurl."

"Make ya feel any better if y' could see me?" asked the ghost calmly as Penny trotted anxiously beside them.

"No." Mara frowned. "I hate it when you hide from me, you know that? I really, really do."

"Wasn' hidin', darlin'. This' my natural state." Ruh carried her past where Hank and Creed hovered over Dandelion's bed, then turned sideways to get her through the door of Jubal's room. "Here she is, kid. Just a little shook up from this mornin'. She's fine."

"Thanks, Wolvie." He gave Mara a worried look and held out his arms. "You were makin' me wanna hurl, chica."

"That's annoying." She shook her head, but smiled and snuggled in as Ruh placed her by him. "How was the talk?"

"Good." He grinned at her sleepily, then slipped a hand onto her belly, which booted him and then snuggled. "Feel like a nap?"

"Go ahead," she said, kissing his cheek and enjoying the heartbreaker grin it earned her. "I'm listening for Dandi. Her mutation surfaced and she needs some balancing time."

The grin faded and he lifted his head to look over her. "How's she doin'? Did it actually start workin', or is it just the pukin' 'n sweatin'?"

"Started workin', she's a mass producer or something." Mara frowned. "It's hurtin', but Sabie n' Blue are taking care of her."

"Mass producer?" He turned her toward the door so that she could see too, then pulled her close, his breath tickling her ear. "Who's that with 'em? The red-haired chica?"

"Penny," Mara said, biting back a smile. "She changed back; she's a lanky little girl who loves the fact that she looks like the rest of us... I am so grabbing her as little sister."

Jubal chuckled and rested his cheek against the side of her head. "Lookit 'er tellin' ol' Blue what t' do."

"Yeah...brat wouldn't leave me alone to suffer a headache in peace, either." Mara sighed, eyes closing as she enjoyed laying in his embrace.

"Headache?" He moved his head away and rubbed the base of her skull, causing her to go totally limp and nearly fall asleep.

"Oi, currur out," she mumbled, smiling as the headache faded away. "No, ok, it's all better, c'mon, I wanna stay awake now."

His fingers moved to behind her ears and she nearly purred, then elbowed him in the stomach without thinking.

"Oof!" He rolled away from her, laughing.

"No, wait, come back," she said, looking over with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, Jubes, I didn't mean t'."

He laughed for a few more minutes, arms wrapped around his stomach, then opened his eyes and took her breath away as she saw the boy from Hell grinning at her. "You're, like, gonna pay for that, chica!"

"Oh no," she groaned, then shook her head. "No, no, gerroff! Don't...EEEEEEK!" she yelped as he darted in, yanked her shirt up, and blew a huge raspberry on her belly. "Ow!" She curled up as the baby gave a huge leap of surprise and started moshing.

"Mara?" His hand touched her back gently. "Was that too hard?"

"No!" She caught her breath, then lay back and managed a smile, then a small laugh. "Your son's as hyper as you are, s'all. Oi, I think you scared him, n' he likes it."

Jubal's grin returned as he gently cupped her belly in his hands and rested his cheek against it. -Hey, lil' buddy, 'sup?"- His grin grew. Then he opened his eyes and looked into Mara's, sharing with her the baby's excitement and joy.

Mara stared back and smiled as she felt her heart melt, then reached out to touch his cheek, only to recoil and bite her lip. "I..." She stopped, then smiled again, though her heart now felt heavy. "I'd appreciate you not doin' that t' him again 'till he's out."

He rubbed his cheek against the happy bounce, then gave it a kiss and moved up till he was eye to eye with her again. "You're not gonna scare me, chica. I know you'd never hurt me on purpose."

"Sometimes I really hate that link," she said softly, touching his cheek again, her eyes catching his and shimmering in the light. "I'm being stupid...just, you know, hormonal or whatever."

"You're not stupid." He nestled his head against the pillow, eyelids drooping, then blinked as a baby voice clamored in the other room.

"Mawa?" it said. "Moeder. Mawa, Mawa. Prittyprittyprittybaba!"

"Oi, it's her." Mara wiped away the moisture in her eyes and snuggled into Jubal as she sniffed and smiled. "Girl knows where I hang out, huh?"

"You avake?" Sturmjäger poked her head around the door frame.

"Barely," said Jubal, laying his cheek against Mara's head again and covering Logan with one hand as the unborn bopped gleefully. "Hey, Brownie. Give 'er here."

"He's barely. Thanks to both daddy and baby being on sugar trips, however, I'm wide awake. Gimme!" Mara grinned and took the golden baby as Sturmjäger brought her over. "Great. She's tired too. Fine, baby, pull up here. Logan and I will remain the awake and strong and caring for all you dozing heads."

-Nap!- The aerobics class in her belly shut down abruptly.

"Wow." Jubal lifted his head and looked with wide eyes.

-Tia? Jabez baby hug?- came another little voice, dripping with woebegone hopefulness.

-Are you tired?- Mara winced, then looked at Jubal as he turned her to face him. "I'm gonna be all alone," she whispered in mock fear.

"Y' look like ya need a sleep yerself." Sturmjäger snorted and went back to Dandelion's bed.

-Jabez baby snuggle,- said that precocious infant.

Jubal looked down at the baby girl cradled between them, a tender look on his face as she closed her eyes with a contented sigh.

"Logan's gonna be sleeping in between us soon," said Mara softly, eyes flicking up to his face. -Jabez baby come, Mara girl likes t' snuggle.-

"Yeah," whispered Jubal, his own eyes bright as he put an arm under her head and pulled her forehead to his.

-Jabez baby fly!- came the surprised sending, followed by the opening of the medlab door.

"What?" Jubal looked up, then rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, Nate, can ya be any more a dweeb?"

"Jabez baby better fly over here and grab snuggle space, or it's gonna close up." Mara smiled. -Hey, Nathy.-

-Hello,- he said gruffly, sounding amused as his tiny daughter came to rest gently between Jubal and Goldie. -Did I get her right side up?-

-More or less.- Mara chuckled, reaching over and turning her from her side. -She's good. You can let go.-

Jabez seemed to slump slightly as her father loosed his telekinetic hold on her, and then gave a little squeak of delight as she saw her favorite uncle looking down at her.

"Hey, lil' chica." He grinned and rubbed her belly, then chuckled as she punched the sleeping Goldie, who growled and stirred.

"Niceness is a good thing." Mara grinned, rubbing the girl's hair. "Let Goldie sleep, baby. You two can wrestle later."

-Goldie sleep?- Jabez frowned and turned her head, then went still. -Oh.- She yawned hugely. -Jabez baby sleep too. G'night, Tia. G'night, Tio. G'night Logan baby. Love-love.- She sighed and put her fist in her mouth, then closed her eyes.

Jubal sighed too, then put his forehead once more against Mara's.

She stayed awake as long as she could, listening to Penny's soft questions and rebukes, but soon found herself dreaming.


	20. Chapter 20

"Und do you, Mara, take Jubal to be your lawfully vedded husband, to have und to hold, to love und to cherish, till death do you part?" asked Kurt softly, his golden eyes flicking toward the larger of the groom's attendants, who was swaying dangerously.

"Pritty pritty pritty," said the smaller of the bride's attendants under her breath, amber eyes fixed on the bride's dress.

"I do," said Mara, looking down and blushing before she glanced at Jubal and smiled.

He smiled back, his eyes talking to her as they progressed to the exchanging of the rings.

"Pritty pritty pritty," whispered Goldie from where she snuggled in Donnie's arms, her fluffy dress making her look like a doll.

Mara heard a gasp as Jubal gently pressed the wolf and tiger ring into her hand and closed her fingers over it, but was too focused on what was happening to turn toward where Ruh sat in the parents of the groom's place.

"I now pronounce you man und vife," said Kurt solemnly. "You may kiss the bride."

Jubal grinned and opened the hand that held the ring, then put a kiss on her palm next to it and once more gently folded her fingers shut.

Mara laughed softly, unable to stop smiling as she squeezed his hand gently, then bit her lip in embarrassment as they turned to face the gathering of their friends and family, which was a rather impressive crowd.

"Brothers und sisters, may I introduce Mr. und Mrs. Lee, und their son Logan," said Kurt, his voice sounding slightly choked up.

Jubal smirked at the surprised murmur that swept through the disguised Danger Room, then laughed out loud as Roy finally fainted and took out the bridal arch. "Party time!"

"Wondered where that went." Ruh popped into sight in the chair next to Mara as she was threading her wedding ring back on its chain.

"I'm so glad Ororo got it for me," said the aqua girl softly, touching the beautiful silver chain that was now guardian to her most precious possession of all. She smiled at Ruh, then hugged her belly and turned to watch Jubal as he and Neko Lynn fed Roy huge doses of caffeine to ease his nerves. "I can't believe it..."

The AI reached out a gentle hand to touch the shimmering satin Princess gown that she wore.

"That ring was Lo...was my weddin' ring. Glad it wasn't lost." She smiled. "Lookit you, darlin'."

"Really?" Mara looked up at her with shimmering eyes. She touched the ring and then Ruh's hand. "I can't believe I'm actually married... Me!"

"Why not, darlin'?" Her first heart-mother's face showed clearly. "Yer worth it."

"After I went to the ocean I only came out when I needed a night of beer." Mara sighed, still staring at Jubal. "N' I hated people in general...and especially guys. I hated the xy chromosome above all else."

"Yeah." Ruh's face showed her understanding. Then she chuckled in wry amusement as Creed carried the sleeping Goldie over and sat in the chair across from them.

"Heh. I think we should get the kid a mute button." Mara smiled and watched the angelic child. "Sweetie... Figures she exhausts herself through the ceremony and can't stay awake to party."

"She'll be partyin' plenty." Creed braced a leg against the table and slid down in the chair, making his body into a cradle for his baby.

"How ya feelin'?" Ruh's voice was soft.

"Better," Creed said gruffly.

Ruh nodded and sat back, then looked around. "Y' didn' have t' do all this fer me. Ya should 'a just gone 'n got married at Hell like ya wanted."

"Like heck," growled Creed.

"How could we have a full party without Wolvie?" wondered Mara, smiling at her. "Not t' mention anouncin' baby Logan."

"What?" A little redhead in a pink leopard print dress stopped and scowled.

"Not you, baby." Creed reached over and snagged the toddler by the arm, tucking her beside Goldie and starting to purr.

"Me Wogan." She cocked her head, bright blue eyes softening as she leaned back against his knee and looked up at him.

"So's the runt in yer Auntie's belly."

"Oh." She turned her head to look toward Mara. "My baby. Yeah."

Ruh cleared her throat, the mannerism seeming odd coming from someone who was now nearly transparent. "Whatever, kid."

Mara laughed softly, then nodded at her niece. "How are you, kid? Helpin' take care of your ma n' new sister?"

"Dadda do dat." Logan blew a raspberry, then snuggled down with a yawn. "My Grumpy."

"Yer talkin' a blue streak, ain't'cha, scrub?" Ruh chuckled.

Logan said something unprintable and closed her eyes.

"Sheesh." Creed shook his head as Ruh slapped her leg and laughed.

"Wow... cute kid. Good vocabulary too." Mara smirked.

"Hey! Stitch, give that back! It was a wedding present!" yelped Jubal.

"Nope!" his little sister laughed gleefully. "No cigars! Yer quittin'!"

"I'm niccin' out here, chica! Give it back!" He wheeled after her.

Ruh shook her head, shadowed eyes suddenly dark with pain as she watched them.

"Hey, it's ok." Mara took her hand. "I'm making him cut down. Stitch is helping."

"Still feel like crud fer hurtin' 'im so bad," said the AI gruffly. "Wish y' could'a met 'im before."

"Stitchie, don't do this t' me! I'm gonna die!"

"Heh, yeah right, loser!"

"Maybe he'll get back that way...someday, but he's getting better right now," said Mara, then looked over at the pair. "Stitch! Let him have one, ok? It's his wedding day. Give the guy a smoke."

"I'm havin' fun here." The young clone razzed her, then growled and bolted as Jubal nearly caught her.

"Here, kid." A brown haired guy with greying temples and an eye patch handed him a cigar with a gold band on it.

"Nick! You old fart! What'dya think yer doin'?" growled Ruh, grinning widely as she got to her feet.

"Thanks," said Jubal, biting the end off the expensive Cuban cigar and smelling it. "But, Stitch, I still want that one. It was a wedding present."

"What's it look like I'm doin', Wolverine," said the guy gruffly, his one eye suspiciously bright. "Yer lookin' better."

Ruh shook her head and belted him in the gut, then hugged him, fading out of sight for a moment before she resumed opacity and motioned him toward Mara. "Mara, this old coot's General Nick Fury. Y' got a high brass muckity muck at yer weddin'."

"Really?" Mara arched and eyebrow and looked at him closely as she got to her feet, noting his discomfort in the black suit he was wearing. "Alright. But give my husband any more of those nasty cigars and muckity muck or not, your butt's out the door."

He chuckled, then turned slightly as a beautiful woman with black hair that sported a white streak walked up next to him. "Kid, this is Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine . Val, this is Mara."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said the lady, smiling.

"Hey." Mara blinked, looking the obviously tough and yet elegant woman in front of her and

feeling slightly intimidated.

"That was a beautiful ceremony," said Val, her eyes twinkling. "I take it the best man celebrated a little too much last night?"

"No, he was just nervous, and in a suit." Mara smirked, then sobered. "If any of this was beautiful it wasn't my fault."

"Who is he, anyhow?" rumbled Nick, his eye narrowing. "Ain't seen him around."

"He's Roy. He's a Morlock. If you ever went to Hell you'd see him and his wife perform, though they're gonna be singing here as soon as they figure out the wires." Mara shrugged and glanced at Ruh as the AI growled at him.

"Hell?" The look on Nick's face was priceless.

"Okay, does this thing work? Awesome!" Roy's deep voice boomed out through the Danger Room. "Okay, maybe if I press this..." He yelped and blurted several colourful words as a surge of electricity left his fur standing on end.

Mara started to laugh uproariously.

"Keep it real, puff ball," she called, then winked at Nick. "Hell. You know, the big, dark place. It's got really good fish n' chips, too."

He just eyed her for a moment, then walked off muttering.

Val watched him go, then grinned widely. "Is it some sort of social place?"

"'S 'a Morlock nightclub," said Ruh, starting and reflexively holding out her arms as Jabez sailed over and bumped into her. "Dangit, Nate! I said I didn' wanna hold 'er!"

-Wow, grouch!- Jabez scowled back at her.

"Be nice." Mara chuckled, then poked at Ruh. "You too, please. This is supposed to be a happy, family oriented day."

The AI tried to hand her the baby, but at that moment Scott called Mara's name.

She looked over, spotted the camera in his hand and her groom at his side, and groaned. "More pictures, when will the nightmare end?"

"Just one more," he said consolingly. "None of the ones of you and Jubal turned out. But now Jean has Penny distracted, and Logan is sleeping on Victor, so we'll give it one more try."

"I need a beer," Mara sighed, then winced. "I mean...serious iced tea. OK, Jubal, make with the pretty so we can do this."

She went to kneel next to the wheelchair, thinking it less evil than having to stand behind it with her hands on his shoulders and not be able to play with his hair, but then gave a squeak of surprise as he pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her middle, head laying against her belly.

"Good." Scott went to one knee and lifted the camera to his face. "Hold that pose."

Mara saw the laughter bubble up in Jubal's eyes, but before she could ask what he was up to he'd leaned up and shyly set his lips to hers.

The camera flashed, and Scott lowered it to look at them with a surprised grin. "Good job, Jubal."

"I..." Mara stared down at her husband, eyes wide in shock as he blushed and hid his face against her stomach. "Whoa..."

Scott cleared his throat, then got up and offered the camera screen. "Do the two of you like that one?"

"I...uh...yeah." Mara looked at it, her eyes widening as she saw a shot that resembled one she remembered sitting on the mantle when she was a child. She looked down at Jubal and stroked his hair. "Yeah...looks great."

Scott nodded and turned to walk away, stumbling and hastily stepping over something as he went.

"Hey!" LGM shook a fist at him, then turned and tenderly put his arms around a frail little fairy bug of a woman. "Don't worry, baby, I'll protect you."

Jubal stirred, then peeked up at Mara without taking his face from her belly.

"You ok?" she asked softly, pulling her hands away.

He sighed deeply and rubbed his cheek against the satin of her gown, his arms tightening as his eyes crinkled in a grin. -Uh huh.-

She smiled back, then looked up and groaned slightly as LGM started walking the girl he'd been holding over towards them. "Don't look now, perverted green dude, twelve o' clock, closing in fast."

Jubal hid again, grumbling under his breath, then glanced toward the approaching pair and blinked as Penny hunkered down next to them and LGM gently asked her not to pick them up because Pixie could get hurt. "You sure that's our LGM, chica?"

"Yup. That's the little brat who jumped me from the kitchen cabinets... Maybe he finally found a girl who falls for those stupid pick-up lines?" she said, running her fingers through his hair again. Then she blinked as Penny gave a happy little whicker and got up to trot back to where Dandelion sat on the edge of the stage with Sammy and the kids of Roy's tribe. "Whoa...maybe it isn't him. Hold on, I may have to step on this imposter!"

Jubal lifted his head and watched the pair keenly as they crossed the last few feet of simulated lawn to his wheelchair, then quirked an eyebrow as LGM looked up with an uncomfortable pleading look in his beady eyes.

"Congrats, guys," he said gruffly. "This is great."

Jubal glanced up at Mara.

"Uh, thanks," she said, tilting her head to the side and staring at him. "You gonna introduce us to your lady friend?"

He gave her a grateful grin and nodded. "Sure. This is Pixie. Pixie, this' Mara 'n Jubes."

"H...hello," said the tiny, iridescent woman softly, her delicate pastel wings shivering as she unconsciously moved closer to the green punk.

Mara exchanged a slight smirk with Jubal, then nodded at Pixie. "So...are you two...dating?"

"We're net pals," said the tiny woman softly, dropping her eyes to her feet.

"I asked her to be my date for the wedding," added LGM, after waiting a few moments for her to continue. "Her brother thought it'd be a good idea and brought her out." He swallowed. "I...didn't know she was my size."

"What the heck?" blurted Roy, causing Pixie to gasp and go wide eyed.

"It's okay, baby," said LGM again hurriedly. "That's just my brother. He's even nicer than me."

"Uh..." Roy blinked and looked at Jubal, who was wearing a wide cheesy grin.

"That's...wow." Mara's eyebrows went up as she noticed how nervous LGM looked. Then she smacked Jubal lightly on the side of the head and grinned at Pixie. "That's cool. You're lucky, to have him for a friend, I mean, he's a neat Little Green Man."

The little Morlock shot her a grateful look, then beamed at his brother as Pixie smiled shyly and shivered her wings again.

"You wanna sit in the drink well?" Jubal pointed to the cup holder on the arm of his wheelchair. "Then you, like, wouldn't haveta worry 'bout anybody stepping on ya."

LGM hastily caught Pixie as she swayed, his face going a lighter shade of green as he lowered her to the grass and looked desperately to Roy.

"I don't know what to do!" said the big catman, spreading his huge hands helplessly.

"Crud. Chica, do somthin'." Jubal gave her a gentle push, biting his lip and cursing at himself under his breath.

"I don't..." Mara bit her lip and got up, then knelt next to the small couple and scooped the fainting woman into her hands, carefully avoiding touching the fragile wings. "Pixie? Pixie, can you hear me?"

"Here, chica, cover 'er up." Jubal handed her one of the pretty blue paper napkins with the silver inscriptions that she'd admired when they'd arrived that morning.

"Yeah," said Mara, holding Pixie close to free one hand, then taking the napkin and spreading it over her like a blanket. "Call Hank, babe, or Jean or someone."

"Blue's comin'," said Jubal. "Man, I'm sorry, LGM. Why didn't ya tell us she was shaky?"

"I ain't exactly useta talkin'," said the little man sorrowfully, getting up on Roy's hand as the big man put it next to him.

"What seems to be the prob... My stars and garters. Here." Hank hunkered next to Mara and held out his hand.

"I asked 'er if she wanted t' sit in the drink well so nobody'd step on 'er 'n she keeled over," said Jubal tersely.

"I see," said the blue doctor absently, reaching for LGM and setting him next to Pixie. "Gently now, lift her head and shoulders and pat her cheek...yes. Like so. How do you feel, Miss?" He cocked his head to hear what his patient said, then nodded and studied her gravely. "Do you feel comfortable sitting in the drink holder? Yes? Then I would recommend doing so." He looked up and gave Jubal and Mara a reassuring smile, then very gently moved his hand up to the arm of the wheelchair and watched as LGM lifted his friend into the rounded depression and settled her comfortably with the napkin.

The small green punk smoothed her fine white hair, then perched on the rim of the cup holder with a sigh.

"I'm afraid you'll fall," she said softly.

LGM blinked and looked surprised, but glanced into the holder. "I'll be okay, baby. I ride on Roy's shoulder all the time."

"Plus he's pretty hardy." Mara smiled and winked at her. "He won't get hurt."

"Are...are you sure you want us hanging around so closely? You just got married," asked Pixie so softly that the water girl had to bend to hear her. Then she squeaked and started as Gator bellowed, 'soups on!' from where he and some of the staff from Hell had been setting up the buffet table.

"It's okay." LGM looked ready to cry.

"It's fine. Hey, it's not like we were gonna get any peace from that lot. I prefer this company." Mara smiled and patted him on the back comfortingly.

He turned away from her slightly, but she didn't notice because Hank was offering her his arm to help her to her feet. It was only when she was seated in her place at the head table and turned to gently lift Pixie to the place hastily set for her on the table that she realized that the little green man was crying.

"Hey, um, Pixie, you mind if I steal your escort for a moment?" she asked.

"No." The tiny woman smoothed her soft pink gown, then looked at Jubal as he started to tell her a joke.

"Go easy on her, I'll be right back." Mara winked at her husband, then scooped LGM up and tucked him under one arm, walking away a short distance before she dropped him to the ground and crouched next to him. "Wipe your face 'n calm down," she instructed, handing him a napkin.

He obeyed with lowered face, then sniffed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Now be quiet and listen to me," said Mara gently. "Look, I like how you act around this girl, but you need to get a grip on yourself. She looks kinda frail, so she's going to need somebody to really look after her. You've been doing a good job, but when she faints or needs help you can't freak, ok? You gotta be a tough little man that she can look at and see strength. That helps a girl, more than you guys would guess."

He nodded without looking up from his hands, which were twisting the napkin.

"Hey." Mara patted his head cheerfully. "You're acting like a good, decent guy, ok? Jubal and I didn't recognize you. Or at least, not how you were acting. You're being great."

He hid his face in the napkin and nodded, then squared his shoulders and looked up at her. "We havin' a party or what?"

Mara laughed softly as the band started up and Roy began to sing 'Livin' on Prayer'. "Take it easy, little bro, and don't worry. You're not ruining anything, and even if you tried, we'd just get Roy to stick you in a closet somewhere."

He grinned, then winked and hightailed it for the table with his hands over his head.

"#$+& that." Mara laughed and pushed herself up to take a kick at him, then sighed and winced, pulling a mock-angry face. "If I didn't have a kid in my stomach..." She shook a fist at him and followed more slowly.

"You okay?" he turned back too quickly, and she suddenly felt him under her shoe. "Um...ouch?"

"Ha, got you." She started to laugh, shooting a quick glance at the table to be sure Pixie wasn't looking before she pushed down a little harder, then released him and got him up with a kick. "Now go on, get. I want to eat with my man."

"Give me a hand up?" He picked up his brown plastic Ken doll sandals and held up his arms.

"You're killing me." She pulled a face and bent down to grab the back of his shirt, then hauled him over to the table and dropped him as she took her seat again, winking at Jubal.

"I'm okay! Really, baby, they do it all the time," she could hear LGM saying hurriedly. "I'm real tough, the kids've played ping pong with me, but don't worry, they'd never do that to you. They're good kids."

-Kurt already asked the Blessing.- Jubal sent her a wash of love. -Want me to get your food?-

"You're the one in the wheelchair." Mara arched her eyebrow at him, but couldn't suppress the smile.

"So?" He gave her the heartbreaker grin, already rolling back from the table. "Love you, chica."

Mara walked slowly beside Jubal out to the center of the dance floor, her hand on his shoulder as the lights dropped. "How're we gonna do this, babe?"

He gave her a slightly shaky grin, then pulled off the blanket that covered his lower body, and she saw that an artificial leg had been attached to his stump. "Just like everybody else, chica."

"You're not healed enough yet!" She bit her lip.

He chuckled, then glanced at Jean and nodded.

Mara gasped as he rose gently from the chair and walked around it toward her, holding out his arms as Roy began to softly sing 'Broken Road'.

Staring at him for a moment the aqua punk hesitated, then stepped into his embrace, listening to the music but only seeing her husband. "Is this a bad time to tell you I have no dancing capabilities whatsoever?" she asked softly, smiling and putting her head on his shoulder.

"It's a slow dance, chica." He sighed and swayed to the music, taking a few steps that she had no trouble following and then sucking in his stomach and chuckling as Logan woke up and started doing a kata.

-Mama! Mama! Mama! Daddy! Daddy!- said the unborn gleefully.

"I love you," said Mara softly, gently rubbing Jubal's shoulder as she smiled into the warm fabric. "Both of you."

He leaned back slightly, the boy from Hell and the man from the future both looking out of his eyes. "Love you too, chica. Forever."


	21. Epilogue

Mara leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the observation booth, watching as Jubal ducked and wove and leaped and kicked his way through a mob of simulated ninjas, the gold and blue of his uniform standing out sharply against the more somberly coloured garb of the two men who stood at his back.

"Jim looks little like his mother when at rest, methinks," noted Hank from where he sat at the console. "But t'is easy to see the relation at times like this."

"Uh huh," said Mara absently, frowning and rubbing her belly as that strange feeling went through it again. "Oi! Watch out, Nerves!"

Jubal whirled and socked the ninja that had nearly gotten the jump on his friend, then spun back and kicked one in the chest with his metal leg.

"Ironic that he lived so long thinking his mother to be dead, only to arrive in search of her shortly after her passing," continued the blue doctor, clearly rambling to himself as he watched the lanky Texan wield the six bone blades in his hands with chilling accuracy.

"Hank?" said Domino from where she stood on the other side of the console.

"Yes, dearest and fairest?"

"Shut the #$+& up."

"Yes, my dove."

Mara snorted and watched the action below her enviously. "I can't wait to try this thing out..." she trailed off and frowned slightly as her stomach got the funny feeling again, rubbing it and grunting softly.

Hank noticed and turned to look at her. "What is it, fair river-maid?"

"Just a weird feeling." She shrugged. "But it ain't bad. Jabez laughed at it this morning, and it goes away pretty quick."

He sat up and regarded her with his head cocked to one side, then sniffed and smiled slowly.

"What?" Mara frowned and took a step away from him. "What is it, furball?"

"Hast seen Victor or Stitch or Penny yet this morn?" he asked softly.

"No, they went on that field trip first thing." Mara's frown increased as she rubbed her belly again.

"Hast given thought to whom you would like present at Logan's delivery?" He glanced at Domino as she straightened and looked at the water girl with realization dawning in her violet eyes.

"Um, I dunno, Jubal, and we probably couldn't keep the blonde out... Wait..." Mara stopped and took another step back, her eyes going wide. "What are you saying?"

"Computor, end program," said Hank, turning to watch the men below.

Mara followed his gaze as that strange feeling rippled across her belly once more, then gasped as she saw Jubal tense. Donnie asked him something, and he responded with a terse headshake and glanced toward the control room.

"Why'd ya shut us down, Blue?" he called. "Agua's alright."

Mara reached over and tugged on Hank's arm fur. "Hank, don't you think I should be in the know first?"

"You truly don't know?" He looked down at her bemusedly. "You are in labor. Your contractions are approximately three minutes apart, and your spouse seems to be blocking the pain without realizing himself to be doing so."

"That stupid boy!" Mara's jaw dropped, and she turned and grabbed the mike. "Jubal! You stop blockin' the pain right now! I'm havin' the kid an' I'm gonna feel it!"

"What??" He staggered back, then pulled away as Jim caught him. "I'm not..." He ducked his head for a moment. "I am. I didn' feel anythin'!"

"Small favors. Now go clean up n' meet me in the medlab." Mara rolled her eyes and turned to Hank, her hands in the air. "Well?"

"Art certain you wish to birth in the lab?" he asked, his eyes on his watch.

"I don't kn - ooh!" Mara's eyes flew open as she leaned on the wall, staring at him. "Ow!"

"I called 'em. Kurt's bringin' 'em back." Ruh popped into sight, then looked down through the windows. "How's that look, kid?"

"An ocean? Why?" Mara bit her lip as the pain went through her again.

"Hear water births 're the easiest. 'N y' relax better in the water." The AI quirked a grin as Donnie's head broke the surface, looking toward the control room. "Y' want him there?"

"Yeah, what about Jub..." Mara stopped with a gasp as she felt something inside her rip and a sudden rush of fluids that made her pale. She wobbled slightly. "#$+&."

Hank gently scooped her up and bounded down the stairs and toward the Danger Room door, reaching it just as Jubal ran up and four others appeared in a cloud of smoke and brimstone.

"What is this, a freaking party?" said Jubal, going quickly to Mara, who was in the middle of a contraction that was much longer than the previous ones.

"Come, young Wolverine," admonished Hank. "Your lady has not breath to speak, let us hast to the birthing place that Ruh has prepared."

"Doesn't he ever shut up?" wondered Fox rhetorically.

"I have not heard that, no," said Kurt.

Mara gritted her teeth, then grabbed Jubal's arm and glowered at him. "Yer...holdin' it...back!"

"If I am it ain't on purpose, chica." He winced at her grip, then followed as Hank brought her into the Danger Room just as a bemused-looking Jim walked out. "Woah! Water..."

Ruh handed him a clear plastic thing. "Put that on. Here, you too, Creed, Fox, Stitch."

Mara growled, then went stiff and let out a full throated yell. "OK! OK! I believe ya!"

Hank lowered her gently into the warm salt water, pulling off her ruined pants and throwing them aside, then hunkering down and watching as she floated on her back.

She breathed deeply, her whole world suddenly shrinking down to her body and the job it was trying to do. She could feel Donnie tentatively supporting her, then moving away as Jubal took to the water beside her and held her up.

"Okay, chica, how you wanna do this?" He looked down at her, his eyes calm and full of love.

"I'm waitin' right here," she heard Creed say as though from a distance.

"How should...I know?" she said, looking up at him and trying hard to breath. "I ain't...ow...experienced...you know."

"Breath like Jean taught us," he said softly, kicking out and taking her further into the water, then letting go with one hand to pull the clear thing over his mouth and nose. "In...hold it. Puff it out...good. You wanna go under?"

"Yeah...feel like...freak show." She half smirked at him, trying to follow his instructions but wincing. "Yeah...underwater."

He nodded and dove, and she was dimly aware of a red-haired form swimming awkwardly beside them and of Donnie's warmth as they passed through him. She arched her back through another contraction, then lay back and watched sunlight dance on the surface of the water. She entangled her fingers through her husband's, then let out another cry and focused on matching his breathing pattern as he continued to coach her.

Her world narrowed further, became an overwhelming urge to push. She had to push... HAD...to...PUSH!!!!!!!!

She screamed, the sound fierce and muffled through set teeth as she bore down with her whole being.

Then it was over and she was breathing again, her eyes once more captured by Jubal's, which glimmered with fear, pride, and love.

"Baby!" she gasped, looking up at him with big, scared eyes. "Is...baby?"

'Not yet', he mouthed, rubbing her belly gently, then moving around behind her and holding her around the middle as the urge to push built again.

"Not yet!" Mara moaned, the sound quickly turning into another scream.

-Easy,- thought Jean comfortingly as the contraction passed. -Do you need help with the pain?-

"No! It's my kid!" Mara gritted her teeth and let herself drift back into Jubal's grasp.

Time passed. She thought it passed, but all she was aware of was Jubal's arms around her, his breathing against her back, his hands entwined with hers, Fox beside her also coaching, and Donnie's warm presence beneath her. These things were her world, and in the midst of her fierce, triumphant struggle she was content with that world. It was enough, and more.

Then something changed and she could feel a difference at the end of a push. Her eyes flew open and looked up at the water surface puzzledly, then turned to Fox as the woman patted her and grinned.

"One more push," murmured Donnie softly.

"O...one?" she gasped, feeling Jubal's grip tighten ever so slightly. "Sh...should we surface?"

"Mrs. Summers says he'll be okay as long as he's still attached to you," said her best friend, shifting so that he supported the two of them a little better.

"One!" she groaned as the urge to push became intense, and she let out a final cry as she bore down with all she had.

-Oh shmoly hokes!- she suddenly heard Jubal cry, his mind exploding with wonder and terror.

"What?" Mara's hands grabbed his as she felt terror herself, but was too weak to get so excited and fell back with a sigh as she panted for oxygen. "L...Logan... Is...he ok?"

"He's okay. He's okay." Donnie laughed as Fox had to grab for the wriggling form of Mara's son as he headed for the surface.

-Sheesh, what a wriggler!- came a thought that was unmistakably the red haired woman's. -Hold still, ya little rat, I'm tryin' ta give ya t' yer ma.-

-Wow! Mama? Daddy?-

-Jabez baby helped!-

-You DIDN'T just link someone else...-

-Hey! Like, we're having a family moment here, guys!-

The other voices abruptly cleared out of her head, and she looked down as Fox lay a baby on her chest, a little tan baby with dark hair and rolls of fat, who lifted his head and frowned intently at her through eyes that were blue and dancing.

-Schmoly hokes,- said Jubal again softly.

"Yeah..." Mara's eyes got huge as she slowly reached out and touched the child, then bit her lip and turned to Jubal. "A...a baby...a real baby..."

He was weeping silently but stormily, his eyes fixed on the wriggling body of his son as he held her close and nodded.

Logan's frown got deeper, then faded as he lay his head down and nuzzled the front of her shirt.

"A baby." Mara burst into tears herself, wrapping her hands around her child. "We have a baby. Jubes..."

He lay his face against hers, then kissed her cheek through the flexible mask and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, rocking her and trying to sooth her with his mind, which was jagging with joy, terror, and overwhelming sorrow.

Mara's hand went to his cheek. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry, Jubes, I'm sorry..."

-What for,- he thought fiercely. -This is good. You did good, chica...so good. Man, I love you so much, girl...- He fell silent, still rocking.

"I love you," she cried, unsure if she was scared, happy, or something else. Her eyes started to slip shut despite her attempt to stay awake. "I love you...I do."

-He's...he's hungry, babe.- Jubal reached down to touch Logan as the baby's rooting grew more insistent. -Like, hook 'im up ta the grub before you sleep, kay?- He nuzzled her cheek again. -I love you so much...-

"Yeah..." Mara turned toward his touch, then lifted Logan to her breast and stroked his small head, biting her lip.

-Rest now, chica. I got you.- He put a hand to her cheek, the rocking slowing as he sighed. -Never wanna let ya go.-

Mara nodded, feeling her whole body relax as she continued to stroke Logan and glory in the sensation of Jubal holding her... Overcome with happiness and peace, she drifted off to sleep.

She woke an unknown time later and opened her eyes to see Jubal's face just inches from her own, the water moving evenly in and out of his mask as he slept. She was aware of aches in her body and of sunlight slanting through the water, but none of that really registered as she moved just enough to be able to look down at the tiny form cuddled between them with one pudgy cheek resting against her breast.

For a while she only took in the beauty of the scene, but then she reached up and touched the side of Jubal's face for a moment before returning her hand to the babe between them. She realized that Donnie was gone and that she'd been changed into more comfortable clothes, while Jubal was now wearing swimming trunks, and vaguely wondered at her son's ability to breath underwater, but was far too entranced by his just being there to look too far into it.

He stirred and gave one of those eloquent and ardent stretches that only newborn babies could give, then rooted till he was able to latch on and looked up at her contentedly, one tiny hand flexing against her chest.

"Hungry baby," she said softly, one finger stroking his tiny cheek. Then she looked up and started slightly as she saw Jubal gazing at her in a way that made her feel like blushing down to her toes.

-Just like you said,- he whispered, his eyes going down to their son. -Logan snuggled between us.-

"Yeah," Mara said softly, smiling up at him with shining eyes. Then she smirked slightly. "N' now he can beat on you an' Donnie without dragging me into it."

He chuckled and put a hand behind her head, then gave her a butterfly kiss and touched his forehead to hers as he looked down at Logan again. -Everybody else's seen him. Nate showed everybody mental pictures. 'N Donnie figured it'd be better t' let us have some private time.-

"More pictures," Mara groaned. "Make them stop, Jubes, make 'em stop!"

-Gotta let 'is family see 'im.- He smoothed the thick black hair that waved in the soft water currents, then chuckled as Logan popped off the breast and looked up at him. -Hey, buddy.-

Logan cracked a grin, then closed his eyes and yawned.

-Heh, you'll be moshin' again in no time.- Jubal shifted slightly on the poofy thing they lay on, taking some of Mara's weight on his chest. -This is good.-

She closed her eyes and nodded, feeling Jabez giving her little mental ghost taps and knowing that they were being watched over by others as well. "Yeah. It is."


End file.
